Enriched environment reduces body weight and adiposity in neonatal overfeeding rats involving an anorectic hypothalamic neuropeptide signal.

SCHUMACHER, R.; ROSSETTI MF; CANESINI, G.; LAZZARINO GP; GARCÍA ANA P; STOKER, C.; ANDREOLI MF; RAMOS, J.G.

BUENOS AIRES

Congreso; CONGRESO SAN 2022; 2022

SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE NEUROCIENCIAS

The enriched environment (EE) is a model of inanimate and social stimulation. Our aim was to study how EE prevents alterations in adiposity, body weight and hypothalamic gene expression observed in neonatally overfed rats as a model of early obesity. Male Wistar rats raised in small litters (SL) were exposed from weaning to postnatal day (PND)90 to EE (SL-EE, n=14) or standard environment (SL-SE, n=14). Control group rats were raised in normal litters and standard environment (NL-SE, n=14). Body weight and food intake were monitored weekly until sacrifice when epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) weight was obtained. The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus was isolated using the Palkovits micro-punch technique and gene expression of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART), neuropeptide Y, Agouti related peptide (AgRP), leptin, insulin and ghrelin receptors were measured by RT-qPCR. SL-SE presented higher EAT weight than NL-SE (p=0.043), while EE prevented this effect. Body weight was also lower in SL-EE (p=0.046 vs NL-SE and p