High-protein nutrition during pregnancy increases neuroinflammation and homocysteine levels and impairs behavior in male adolescent rats offspring

Aims: Throughout gestation, proteins in the diet are a source of essential amino acids that are crucial for proper healthy fetal growth and development. The present study was proposed to investigate the effect of high-protein diet consumption throughout pregnancy on redox homeostasis, neuroinflammatory status and amino acid levels, including homocysteine, in the male adolescent rats offspring's cerebral cortex. We also performed a battery of behavioral tests to evaluate maternal care, olfactory preference, exploratory capacity, habituation, memory, anxiety-and depression-like behavior motor activity in the offspring.Main methods: After pregnancy confirmation, the pregnant rats were randomly divided into two groups, ac-cording to the diet: group 1, (control) standard diet containing 20 % protein, and group 2, the high-protein diet containing 50 % protein. Throughout the gestational period, the pregnant rats received experimental diets. Key findings: Results showed an increase in homocysteine levels and neuroinflammatory mediators in the off-spring's cerebral cortex from pregnant rats supplemented with a high-protein diet throughout pregnancy. Besides decreasing histidine levels in offspring's serum. The results also revealed an impairment in memory and motricity and an increase in anxiety-like behavior in the offspring supplemented with a high-protein diet throughout pregnancy. Our findings showed a significant effect of high-protein diet consumption throughout pregnancy on offspring's neurobiochemistry, which can negatively impact behavioral performance.Significance: Our results reinforce the importance of consuming a balanced diet during the gestational period, especially macronutrients such as proteins since the fetus is sensitive to the mother's diet during pregnancy which may impact the development of the offspring.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of a high-protein diet consumed during pregnancy on neurobiochemistry and behavioral performance in the offspring. The results showed that maternal consumption of a high-protein diet led to increased levels of homocysteine and neuroinflammatory mediators in the offspring's cerebral cortex, as well as decreased histidine levels in their serum. It also resulted in impaired memory and motricity, and increased anxiety-like behavior in the offspring.