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. Fasting done by pregnant women causes brain neurons to receive more energy thus increases the connection between the neurons. A brain hormone called Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor will be affected during fasting. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neuronal survival and growth, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in neuronal plasticity, which is essential for learning and memory. Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has an important role in brain development, namely in the formation of new nerve cells and cognitive processes inside the brain which helps to optimize cognitive, learning, and memory functions. Fasting during pregnancy will influence 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 during three trimesters pregnancy on Brain-derived Neurotrophic (BDNF) factor expression in cerebrum and cerebellum. 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. First group (X1) was the rats born from mother with 2 days fasting during first trimester pregnancy, second group (X2) was the rats born from mother with 2 days fasting during second trimester pregnancy and third 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 expression was studied within munohistochemistry.Conclusion: Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expression in cerebrumand cerebellumwas examined with immunohistochemical method. Data from each sample was assessed using the Remmele Scale Indexmethod (Immunoreactive Score). There was significant cerebrum Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expression mean found in third trimester (3.90 2.403) with p-value = 0.008 (p<0.05). There were no significant cerebellum Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expression differences found in all trimesters. Fasting during pregnancy is safe for both mother and children. Fasting during pregnancy will increase the Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor expression so that the brain function will improve as well.