Cited by 49Gut microbiota and healthNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorRegulation of Appetite and Obesity

An intermittent hypercaloric diet alters gut microbiota, prefrontal cortical gene expression and social behaviours in rats

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Reichelt, Amy C., Loughman, Amy, Bernard, Ashton, Raipuria, Mukesh, Abbott, Kirsten N, Dachtler, James, Van, Thi Thu Hao, Moore, Robert J.·2020·Nutritional Neuroscience

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Abstract Excessive consumption of high fat and high sugar (HFHS) diets are known to alter reward processing and aspects of behaviour, and change microbiota profiles. Studies in gnotobiotic mice also provide evidence that gut microorganisms influence social behaviour. To further investigate these interactions, the impact of intermittent access to a HFHS diet on social behaviour, gene expression and microbiota composition was examined. Rats were permitted intermittent daily access (2h / day) to a palatable HFHS diet for 28 days across the adolescent period. Social interaction, social memory and novel object recognition were assessed during this period. Following testing, RT-PCR was conducted on hippocampal and prefrontal cortex (PFC) samples. 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing was used for identification and relative quantification of bacterial taxa. Reduced social interaction behaviours, and impaired social memory and novel object recognition were observed in HFHS diet rats. Reduced levels of monoamine oxidase A (Maoa), catechol-O-methyltransferase (Comt) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) mRNA were observed in the PFC of HFHS diet rats. The relative abundance of a number of specific taxa differed significantly between the two diet groups, in particular, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminoccoceae bacteria, which also predicted social behaviours, novel object recognition performance and Maoa expression. This is the first study to show that limited daily access to HFHS diet alters social behaviour and cognition in rats. Furthermore, behavioural changes are associated with alterations to cortical gene expression of enzymes involved in monoamine synthesis and neuroplasticity, and microbiota profiles predicted diet-induced changes to behaviour and gene expression.

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Crossref · 10.1080/1028415x.2018.1537169

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  • Feeding high-fat, high-sucrose, or high-caloric diets results in unfavorable changes in microbiota composition with adverse effects on cognition and behavior.

    “Feeding high-fat, high-sucrose, or high-caloric diets results in unfavorable changes in the microbiota composition (e.g., an increase in the abundance of Firmicutes and a decrease in the abundance of Bacteroidetes, and higher percentages of Clostridiales and Bacteroidales) with adverse effects on cognition and behavior, as evidenced by decreases in memory function, poorer cognitive flexibility, or”
  • In rats, intermittent access to a high-fat high-sucrose diet impaired social and object recognition.

    “Impaired social and object | recognition in HFHS diet”

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Authors
Reichelt, A. C., Loughman, A., Bernard, A., Raipuria, M., Abbott, K. N., Dachtler, J., Van, T. T. H., & Moore, R. J.
Affiliations
  • Western University (CA)
  • Deakin University (AU)
  • University of Glasgow (GB)
  • UNSW Sydney (AU)
  • Durham University (GB)
  • RMIT University (AU)
Corresponding author
Reichelt, Amy C.
Venue
Nutritional Neuroscience
Published
2018-11-22
Volume
23
Issue
8
Pages
613-627
ISSN
  • 1028-415X (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-8305
OpenAlex
W2804944199
Cited by
49
References
71
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6
FWCI
1.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-nd
Locations
  • Nutritional Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (acceptedVersion)
  • ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) (submittedVersion)
  • Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion)
Funders
Australian Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
Keywords
gut microbiota, prefrontal cortex gene expression, social behavior, social interaction, social memory, novel object recognition, monoamine oxidase A, catechol-O-methyltransferase, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Lachnospiraceae, adolescent rats, reward processing, neuroplasticity
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Dietary Sugars, Animals, Eating, Hippocampus, Male, Social Behavior, Gene Expression, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Prefrontal Cortex, Diet, High-Fat

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