Catálogo de Investigaciones 2015-2016

CATÁLOGO DE INVESTIGACIONES | AÑO ACADÉMICO 2015-2016 151 Depressive like behavior and gut microflora changes were associated to high fat diet in male sprague dawley rats Over the past decade, obesity has become an increasing problem worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Due to increased workload, stress, and other obligations, people tend to eat outside the home, often picking meals with a higher content of fat, and calories (called “the western diet”) resulting in increased body mass index (BMI) and obesity. In fact, several studies suggest that obesity produces gut dysfunction, inflammation, changes in the gut microflora, and mental disorders. However, it is not yet clear whether mental disorders, such as depression, can be induced in a model of obesity. AIM : Study high fat diet will cause changes in the gut microflora, which results in depression. METHODS : Two-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats were fed with High Fat diet (HFD), or low fat diet (LFD), for a month. After diet, both groups were evaluated for depressive and anxiety behaviors. Feces were evaluated to see the gut microflora composition. Samples such serum and gut were evaluated for inflammatory markers. RESULTS : HFD group show a significant depressive like behavior compared with DR fed rats, (p<0.05; n=14) however no differences were found in anxiety like behavior. Although no differences in absolute weight were found between the two groups, molecular analysis found higher epididymis fat tissue (p<0.001 n=14) and a higher expression of leptin in the blood of the HFD group compared with the LFD group (p<0.05 n=6). Moreover, metagenomics analysis of the feces revealed differences at 30 days at the family level (p<0.001 n=6); a higher percent of bacteriodes were found in the HFD animals compared to LFD. CONCLUSION : these data indicate that weight alone is not an indicator of obesity, but the type of food consumption can initiate changes in the gut microflora and blood, which may be associated to behavioral changes such as depression. RCMIG12 MD007579 . dra. gladys chompre colegio de ciencias - pucpr sugheil cruz estudiante pucpr fats sprague dawley rats obesity gut microflora stress