Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
Author: Pamela Rocío Fernández | email: pame.fernandez@live.com
Pamela Rocío Fernández 1°, Guillermina Canesini 1°, Rocío Schumacher 1°, Luisa Gaydou 1°, María Florencia Rossetti 1°, Ana Paula García 1°, Jorge Guillermo Ramos 1°, Cora Stoker 1°
1° Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), UNL-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina.
2° Cátedra de Nutrición en Situaciones Patológicas, FBCB-UNL, Santa Fe, Argentina.
3° Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, FBCB-UNL, Santa Fe, Argentina.
Our objective was to study the impact of neonatal overfeeding on the orexigenic response to a cafeteria diet (CAF) in adulthood. Male Wistar rats were raised in small litters (4 pups/dam, SL) or normal litters (10 pups/dam, NL). From weaning they were fed with standard chow until postnatal day 90 (PND90). From PND90 and for 11 weeks animals received standard chow (CON) or cafeteria diet (CAF), (NL-CON, NL-CAF, SL-CON, SL-CAF; 14 rats/group). Body weight and food intake were recorded weekly. Specific sensory satiety test (SSS) was performed 4 weeks before sacrifice at PND167, when blood and fat pads were obtained. CAF consumption significantly increased body weight (p<0,0001), energy intake (p<0,001) and adiposity (p<0,0001) in both NL and SL. SL-CAF presented a significant decrease in food consumption (grams) (p<0.05). No differences in energy nor grams of food intake were observed between NL-CON and SL-CON. Blood glucose levels were similar in all groups. Feeding behaviour evaluated through the SSS test was altered by neonatal overfeeding and by exposure to CAF diet, both individually and in synergy (p<0,05). We previously demonstrated that overweight produced by neonatal overfeeding (PND21) is reversed by control diet (PND90). However, marks in the brain remain in adult life. This work provides the first evidence that neonatal overfeeding alters the expected orexigenic feeding behaviour in adult life. Future studies will focus on the molecular neurocircuitry involved.