? Effects of maternal malnutrition on stress related gene expression and epigenetic mechanisms in dams and female offspring mice.

GEORGIEFF ERIKA; ALBERCA, CAROLINA D.; MIRANDA JENNIFER; CHERTOFF MARIELA

Congreso; XXXVIII Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias.; 2023

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias.

Maternal malnutrition impacts brain development and long-term mental health, elevating the risk to suffer of anxiety and depression disorders. DNA methylation is a key neuronal mechanism for adapting to environmental changes. In this study, female mice exposed to normal-protein (NP) or low-protein (LP) diets during gestation and lactation were assessed for behavior and gene/protein expression in mothers and female offspring. We observed that a LP diet in pregnancy and lactation led to anxiety-like behavior and anhedonia in mothers and offspring. Reduced GR expression occurred in both hippocampus (HP) and amygdala (AMY) of mothers and LP offspring. we noted an increase in plasma corticosterone levels in offspring. Malnourished offspring displayed lower Bdnf exon VI and an increase in the expression of Dnmt3b and Gadd45b in HP. AMY showed a trend towards reduced Dnmt3b. A 5mC dot blot in HP of mothers and offspring revealed no found differences between NP al LP animals on global 5mC levels. These findings indicate HPA axis dysregulation in offspring, potentially increasing anxiety-like behaviors in adult LP offspring.