V-071 | Behavioral and metabolic characterization of a double-burden model of malnutrition

Development
Author: Claudio Dario Barrios | Email: claudiobarr94@gmail.com

Claudio Dario Barrios^1°2°, Yael Calles^4°,Mariana Elias^2°, Evelin Elia^2°3°, Amaicha Depino^2°3°

^1° Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular
^2° CONICET – Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias.
^3° Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental
^4° Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales.

The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is an emerging and not fully understood phenomenon that involves the coexistence of undernutrition and obesity/overweight. In this study, we developed a murine model to investigate this imbalance, performing metabolic and behavioral characterizations in adult CF1 mice.
Our lab previously established an undernutrition protocol involving 8 hours of maternal separation daily from postnatal day 5 to 21, which resulted in reduced body weight during the first three weeks of life. Additionally, we set up an obesity model using a cafeteria diet protocol for 14 weeks post-weaning which consisted of delivered junk food daily, which led to significant weight gain.
In this work, we combined these protocols to develop a double-burden model, analyzing behavior and metabolism in adulthood. While we observed no significant differences in glucose, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels, nor in behaviors related to depression, anxiety, memory, or locomotion, there was a notable increase in weight gain among animals on the cafeteria diet, regardless of prior treatment. Interestingly, the greatest weight gain occurred in those previously subjected to the undernutrition protocol followed by the cafeteria diet.
Our results provide a foundation for using this model to explore how other early-adversities, such as maltreatment and stress, may have long-lasting consequences on brain function in individuals experiencing DBM.