Behavioral changes in male mice fed a high-fat diet are associated with IL-1β expression in specific brain regions

Nov 24, 2016Physiology & behavior

Behavior changes in male mice on a high-fat diet linked to IL-1β levels in certain brain areas

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Abstract

Mice fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks exhibited cognitive impairment and increased anxiety-like behaviors.

Cognitive performance was negatively correlated with levels of interleukin-1β in the hippocampus and amygdala.
Higher expression of interleukin-1β in the amygdala was positively correlated with increased anxiety-like behavior.
Mice on a high-fat diet showed significantly higher expression of interleukin-1β in the hippocampus and amygdala compared to those on a standard diet.
Increased immunoreactivity of specific brain markers (GFAP and Iba1) was observed in high-fat diet mice relative to controls.
No association was found between depressive-like behavior and interleukin-1β expression in any brain regions studied.

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High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity is associated with not only increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, but cognitive deficit, depression and anxiety disorders. Obesity also leads to low-grade peripheral inflammation, which plays a major role in the development of metabolic alterations. Previous studies suggest that obesity-associated central inflammation may underlie the development of neuropsychiatric deficits, but further research is needed to clarify this relationship. We used 48 male C57BL/6J mice to investigate whether chronic consumption of a high-fat diet leads to increased expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the hippocampus, amygdala and frontal cortex. We also determined whether IL-1β expression in those brain regions correlates with changes in the Y-maze, open field, elevated zero maze and forced swim tests. After 16weeks on dietary treatments, HFD mice showed cognitive impairment on the Y-maze test, greater anxiety-like behavior during the open field and elevated zero maze tests, and increased depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test. Hippocampal and amygdalar expression of IL-1β were significantly higher in HFD mice than in control mice fed a standard diet (SD). Additionally, hippocampal GFAP and Iba1 immunoreactivity were increased in HFD mice when compared to SD controls. Cognitive performance negatively correlated with level of IL-1β in the hippocampus and amygdala whereas an observed increase in anxiety-like behavior was positively correlated with higher expression of IL-1β in the amygdala. However, we observed no association between depressive-like behavior and IL-1β expression in any of the brain regions investigated. Together our data provide evidence that mice fed a HFD exhibit cognitive deficits, anxiety and depressive-like behaviors. Our results also suggest that increased expression of IL-1β in the hippocampus and amygdala may be associated with the development of cognitive deficits and anxiety-like behavior, respectively.

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Behavioral changes in male mice fed a high-fat diet are associated with IL-1β expression in specific brain regions

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