Caloric restriction or cafeteria diet from birth to adulthood increases the sensitivity to ephedrine in anxiety and locomotion in Wistar rats

Arthur Rocha-Gomes; Amanda Escobar Teixeira; Deiviany Santana Santos Lima; Luziane Dos Santos Rocha; Alexandre Alves da Silva; Mayara Rodrigues Lessa; Nísia Av Dessimoni Pinto; Sérgio R Stuckert-Seixas; Tania Regina Riul

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113430

Caloric restriction or cafeteria diet from birth to adulthood increases the sensitivity to ephedrine in anxiety and locomotion in Wistar rats

Physiol Behav. 2021 Jul 1:236:113430. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113430. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Authors

Arthur Rocha-Gomes¹, Amanda Escobar Teixeira², Deiviany Santana Santos Lima³, Luziane Dos Santos Rocha³, Alexandre Alves da Silva⁴, Mayara Rodrigues Lessa⁵, Nísia Av Dessimoni Pinto⁵, Sérgio R Stuckert-Seixas⁶, Tania Regina Riul⁷

Affiliations

¹ Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil; Programa Multicêntrico de Pós-graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil.
² Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil.
³ Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil.
⁴ Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil.
⁵ Laboratório de Tecnologia e Biomassas do Cerrado, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil.
⁶ Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil.
⁷ Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Rodovia MGT 367 (Km 583), Campus JK, n 5000, Alto da Jacuba, Diamantina, Brasil. Electronic address: taniriul@yahoo.com.br.

PMID: 33865851
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113430

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity and undernutrition, consequences of malnutrition, have been linked to the development of mental illnesses. Both states have been linked to increased sensitivity to some drugs, but there are few data for this association considering drugs with noradrenergic-dopaminergic action.

Objective: To evaluate the nutritional status of animals treated with either a caloric restriction (CR) or cafeteria (CAF) diet from birth and their behavior after ephedrine application.

Methods: During the lactation period, 12 litters of Wistar rats (dam + 8 pups) were fed one of three diets: control (n = 4), CR (n = 4), and CAF (n = 4). After weaning, the males were placed in individual boxes and received the same diet as their respective dams. Nutritional assessments were performed after weaning and in adulthood. In adulthood, males received either saline or ephedrine (20 mg/kg) and underwent behavioral tests including the elevated plus-maze, open-field, and food intake tests.

Results: The CR group exhibited higher serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and lower food and caloric intake, weight gain, and fat mass than the control group. The CAF group exhibited lower food intake and higher fat caloric intake, fat mass, and serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride, total cholesterol, and hepatic lipid levels than the control group. These results indicated that the CR and CAF groups had developed undernutrition and obesity, respectively. In the elevated plus-maze and open-field tests, the CR and CAF groups showed lower anxiety-like behaviors than the control group after ephedrine application. This result indicates that the animal's nutritional status (undernutrition or obesity) can enhance ephedrine sensitivity.

Conclusion: The CR group exhibited undernutrition, whereas the CAF group exhibited obesity. Ephedrine altered anxiety and locomotion in animals that received the CR and CAF diets in manner different than that observed in animals receiving the standard diet.

Keywords: Elevated plus-maze; Ephedrine; Obesity; Open-field; Sensitivity; Undernutrition.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Anxiety / etiology
Caloric Restriction*
Diet
Ephedrine*
Female
Locomotion
Male
Rats
Rats, Wistar

Substances

Ephedrine