The Effect of Fasting during Pregnancy on Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression in Cerebrum and Cerebellum

Abstract

Background: Fasting for pregnant women is still a debatable issue among society and clinicians. Fastingdone by pregnant women causes brain neurons to receive more energy thus increases the connectionbetween the neurons. A brain hormone called Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor will be affectedduring fasting. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neuronal survivaland growth, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in neuronal plasticity, which isessential for learning and memory. Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has an important role inbrain development, namely in the formation of new nerve cells and cognitive processes inside the brainwhich helps to optimize cognitive, learning, and memory functions. Fasting during pregnancy willinfluence fetal brain cells due to increase in the body’s metabolic system which is delivered to cerebrumand cerebellum neuron cells. The objective of this research is to analyze the effect of fasting duringthree trimesters pregnancy on Brain-derived Neurotrophic (BDNF) factor expression in cerebrum andcerebellum.Method: The design of this research is true experimental laboratory post-test with control group design.The research samples are rats (Rattus norvegicus) which consists of 3 groups and 1 control group. Firstgroup (X1) was the rats born from mother with 2 days fasting during first trimester pregnancy, secondgroup (X2) was the rats born from mother with 2 days fasting during second trimester pregnancy andthird group (X3) was the rats born from mother with 2 days fasting during third trimester pregnancy.The control group (X0) was the rats born from mother without fasting during the whole pregnancy.Brain dissections of new born rats were taken and the brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expressionwas studied within munohistochemistry.Conclusion: Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expression in cerebrumand cerebellumwas examinedwith immunohistochemical method. Data from each sample was assessed using the Remmele ScaleIndexmethod (Immunoreactive Score). There was significant cerebrum Brain-derived NeurotrophicFactor expression mean found in third trimester (3.90 2.403) with p-value = 0.008 (p<0.05). Therewere no significant cerebellum Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expression differences found in alltrimesters. Fasting during pregnancy is safe for both mother and children. Fasting during pregnancywill increase the Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expression so that the brain function will improveas well.