Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats

ABSTRACT Objective: Hypothalamic inflammation and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) overexpression in astrocytes are well described in obese animals, as are some cognitive and memory deficits. As the hippocampus plays important roles in the consolidation of information, this investigation aime...

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Main Authors: Eduardo Fernandes Bondan, Carolina Vieira Cardoso, Maria de Fátima Monteiro Martins, Rosemari Otton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações
Series:Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2019000900601&lng=en&tlng=en
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author Eduardo Fernandes Bondan
Carolina Vieira Cardoso
Maria de Fátima Monteiro Martins
Rosemari Otton
author_facet Eduardo Fernandes Bondan
Carolina Vieira Cardoso
Maria de Fátima Monteiro Martins
Rosemari Otton
author_sort Eduardo Fernandes Bondan
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Objective: Hypothalamic inflammation and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) overexpression in astrocytes are well described in obese animals, as are some cognitive and memory deficits. As the hippocampus plays important roles in the consolidation of information, this investigation aimed to observe the memory function and the astrocyte expression of GFAP in the hippocampus of rats that received either a hypercaloric or a normocaloric diet. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats received a high-fat (cafeteria) or a standard diet for 60 days. On the 61st day, the rats were submitted to the novel object recognition (NOR) test at three and 24 hours after the first contact with objects, to assess short-term and long-term memory, respectively. Thereafter, the rats were euthanized and their brains were collected for GFAP immunohistochemical investigation in the hippocampus (CA1, CA2, CA3 areas) and hypothalamus (periventricular and arcuate nuclei). Astrocytic reactivity was assessed by morphometry. Different white adipose tissue depots and brown adipose tissue were weighed to calculate the adiposity index. Results: The hypercaloric diet increased body weight gain, adiposity index, white adipose tissue weight (epididymal, subcutaneous and retroperitoneal) and brown adipose tissue weight. Rats fed with the hypercaloric diet showed short-term and long-term memory impairments in the NOR test, as well as increased GFAP expression in astrocytes from all analyzed hypothalamic and hippocampal areas. Conclusion: This astrogliosis suggests that the neuroinflammatory response also occurs in the hippocampus and may be involved in the memory losses observed in obese/overweight animals.
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spelling doaj-art-8a2dac2bceb34b9fb2e69316978eb6162025-08-20T03:06:47ZengThieme Revinter PublicaçõesArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria1678-422777960160810.1590/0004-282x20190091S0004-282X2019000900601Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in ratsEduardo Fernandes BondanCarolina Vieira CardosoMaria de Fátima Monteiro MartinsRosemari OttonABSTRACT Objective: Hypothalamic inflammation and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) overexpression in astrocytes are well described in obese animals, as are some cognitive and memory deficits. As the hippocampus plays important roles in the consolidation of information, this investigation aimed to observe the memory function and the astrocyte expression of GFAP in the hippocampus of rats that received either a hypercaloric or a normocaloric diet. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats received a high-fat (cafeteria) or a standard diet for 60 days. On the 61st day, the rats were submitted to the novel object recognition (NOR) test at three and 24 hours after the first contact with objects, to assess short-term and long-term memory, respectively. Thereafter, the rats were euthanized and their brains were collected for GFAP immunohistochemical investigation in the hippocampus (CA1, CA2, CA3 areas) and hypothalamus (periventricular and arcuate nuclei). Astrocytic reactivity was assessed by morphometry. Different white adipose tissue depots and brown adipose tissue were weighed to calculate the adiposity index. Results: The hypercaloric diet increased body weight gain, adiposity index, white adipose tissue weight (epididymal, subcutaneous and retroperitoneal) and brown adipose tissue weight. Rats fed with the hypercaloric diet showed short-term and long-term memory impairments in the NOR test, as well as increased GFAP expression in astrocytes from all analyzed hypothalamic and hippocampal areas. Conclusion: This astrogliosis suggests that the neuroinflammatory response also occurs in the hippocampus and may be involved in the memory losses observed in obese/overweight animals.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2019000900601&lng=en&tlng=enAstrocyteshippocampusimmunohistochemistrymemory disordersobesity
spellingShingle Eduardo Fernandes Bondan
Carolina Vieira Cardoso
Maria de Fátima Monteiro Martins
Rosemari Otton
Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
Astrocytes
hippocampus
immunohistochemistry
memory disorders
obesity
title Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats
title_full Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats
title_fullStr Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats
title_full_unstemmed Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats
title_short Memory impairments and increased GFAP expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats
title_sort memory impairments and increased gfap expression in hippocampal astrocytes following hypercaloric diet in rats
topic Astrocytes
hippocampus
immunohistochemistry
memory disorders
obesity
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2019000900601&lng=en&tlng=en
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AT carolinavieiracardoso memoryimpairmentsandincreasedgfapexpressioninhippocampalastrocytesfollowinghypercaloricdietinrats
AT mariadefatimamonteiromartins memoryimpairmentsandincreasedgfapexpressioninhippocampalastrocytesfollowinghypercaloricdietinrats
AT rosemariotton memoryimpairmentsandincreasedgfapexpressioninhippocampalastrocytesfollowinghypercaloricdietinrats