Maternal exposure to high-fat diet modifies anxiety-like/depression-like behaviors and compounds of Serotonergic System in offspring: A preclinical systematic review.

Maternal nutrition affects offspring physiology and behavior including susceptibility to mental health-related states. Perinatal high-fat diet (HFD) consumption has been associated with lower levels of serotonin as well as the development of anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors in offspring. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of maternal HFD during pregnancy and/or lactation on these behaviors and on some aspects of the serotonergic system.

Neonatal serotonin reuptake inhibition reduces hypercaloric diet effects on fat mass and hypothalamic gene expression in adult rats.

Background: Serotonin (5-HT) is involved in nervous system ontogenesis, and is important for neurotransmission and behavior modulation after the developmental stage. Alterations in 5-HT levels during the early period of life may signal to feeding behavior and hypothalamic genic expression changes in adulthood.

Objectives: Investigate the effects of hypercaloric diet in adult rats submitted to neonatal serotonin reuptake inhibition on food intake, fat pad mass, plasmatic triglycerides/cholesterol and gene expression of hypothalamic peptides (POMC, NPY) and serotonin receptors (5-HT1B, 5-HT2C).