High-fat diet intake induces depressive-like behavior in ovariectomized rats

Valter T Boldarine,Ana P S Dornellas,Cláudia M O Nascimento,Eliane B Ribeiro,Amanda P Pedroso,Nelson I P Neto,Lila M Oyama

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-47152-1

Valter T Boldarine, Ana P S Dornellas + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47152-1

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Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Jul 22, 2019
Citations: 18	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo

Abstract

This study tested the effects of ovariectomy, allied or not to high-fat feeding and estradiol replacement, on hormonal, metabolic and behavioral parameters, to explore the connection of obesity and depression after menopause. Wistar rats were either ovariectomized or sham-operated and fed with either standard chow or lard-enriched diet for twelve weeks. Sub-groups of ovariectomized rats received estradiol replacement. Depressive-like behaviors were assessed by the forced swim test and locomotor activity was assessed by the elevated plus maze test. Ovariectomy alone increased body weight gain and feed efficiency and induced hyperleptinemia and glucose intolerance while it increased caloric intake and body adiposity only marginally. High-fat intake alone induced obesity and, in combination with ovariectomy, accentuated the ovariectomy-induced alterations. Estradiol replacement attenuated the hormonal alterations only in chow-fed rats. Ovariectomy combined with high-fat intake induced depressive-like behaviors, which were marginally attenuated by estradiol. Depressive-like behaviors were associated with metabolic and body composition parameters and with estrogen status. The data indicate that the vulnerability to develop depression after menopause is influenced by high-fat intake. It is suggested that weight management is a crucial issue in postmenopausal women, probably having a beneficial role in preventing the appearance of mental health problems.

Highlights

Characterized by the loss of ovarian function, menopause is a period in womens life in which the risk of developing central obesity is higher than in any other[1,2,3]
We have previously demonstrated that the intake of a high-fat diet by ovarictomized rats, while potentiating the ovariectomy-induced body adiposity gain and metabolic alterations, failed to affect depressive-like behaviors consistently[12]
High-fat intake accentuates the body weight gain and adiposity changes induced by ovariectomy

Summary

Introduction

Characterized by the loss of ovarian function, menopause is a period in womens life in which the risk of developing central obesity is higher than in any other[1,2,3]. Obesity brings a series of comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and psychopathologies including mild to moderate depression[4,5] Both epidemiological and experimental data seem to have established the existence of a bidirectional association between obesity and depression[6,7]. Acting at central nervous system sites, estradiol has been suggested to attenuate the mood and body weight alterations caused by ovariectomy in rats[11]. These considerations indicate the relevance of a better understanding of the obesity/depression association after menopause. We have previously demonstrated that the intake of a high-fat diet by ovarictomized rats, while potentiating the ovariectomy-induced body adiposity gain and metabolic alterations, failed to affect depressive-like behaviors consistently[12]. The present study evaluated metabolic, hormonal and behavioral parameters in an ovariectomized www.nature.com/scientificreports/

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