RT Journal Article
T1 Maternal Caloric Restriction Implemented during the Preconceptional and Pregnancy Period Alters Hypothalamic and Hippocampal Endocannabinoid Levels at Birth and Induces Overweight and Increased Adiposity at Adulthood in Male Rat Offspring
A1 Ramírez López, María Teresa
A1 Vázquez, Mariam
A1 Bindila, Laura
A1 Lomazzo, Ermelinda
A1 Hofmann, Clementine
A1 Blanco, Rosarío Noemí
A1 Alén Fariñas, Francisco
A1 Antón, María
A1 Decara, Juan
A1 Arco, Rocío
A1 Ouro, Daniel
A1 Orio Ortiz, Laura
A1 Suárez, Juan
A1 Lutz, Beat
A1 Gómez De Heras, María Raquel
A1 Rodríguez De Fonseca, Fernando Antonio
AB Exposure to inadequate nutritional conditions in critical windows of development has been associated to disturbances on metabolism and behavior in the offspring later in life. The role of the endocannabinoid system, a known regulator of energy expenditure and adaptive behaviors, in the modulation of these processes is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the impact of exposing rat dams to diet restriction (20% less calories than standard diet) during pre-gestational and gestational periods on: (a) neonatal outcomes; (b) endocannabinoid content in hypothalamus, hippocampus and olfactory bulb at birth; (c) metabolism-related parameters; and (d) behavior in adult male offspring. We found that calorie-restricted dams tended to have a reduced litter size, although the offspring showed normal weight at birth. Pups from calorie-restricted dams also exhibited a strong decrease in the levels of anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), arachidonic acid (AA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in the hypothalamus at birth. Additionally, pups from diet-restricted dams displayed reduced levels of AEA in the hippocampus without significant differences in the olfactory bulb. Moreover, offspring exhibited increased weight gain, body weight and adiposity in adulthood as well as increased anxiety-related responses. We propose that endocannabinoid signaling is altered by a maternal caloric restriction implemented during the preconceptional and pregnancy periods, which might lead to modifications of the hypothalamic and hippocampal circuits, potentially contributing to the long-term effects found in the adult offspring.
PB Frontiers Media SA
SN 1662-5153
YR 2016
FD 2016-11-01
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/121790
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/121790
LA eng
NO Ramírez-López MT, Vázquez M, Bindila L, Lomazzo E, Hofmann C, Blanco RN, et al. Maternal caloric restriction implemented during the preconceptional and pregnancy period alters hypothalamic and hippocampal endocannabinoid levels at birth and induces overweight and increased adiposity at adulthood in male rat offspring. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2016;10(NOV).
NO Este trabajo fue financiado por el Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (PI13/0226 a FRF, CP12/03109 a JS y PSI-2012-35388 a RGH), la Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RD12/0028/0001 a FRF), CIBERobn, la Consejería de Economía, Innovación y Ciencia de la Junta de Andalucía, UE/FEDER (PI45403, CTS-8221, CTS-433 a FRF), la Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (SAS111224 a JS y FRF), y la Fundación Alemana para la Investigación Científica DFG (FOR926, proyecto CP1 a BL). MTR-L ha sido financiada mediante una beca predoctoral FPU del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (AP-2009-0225); JS tiene un contrato de investigación “Miguel Servet” del Sistema Nacional de Salud, ISCIII (número de subvención CP12/03109). Los autores también agradecen a Claudia Schwitter por su ayuda y apoyo durante la extracción lipídica y el análisis BCA.
DS Docta Complutense
RD 26 jun 2025