High‐fat diet impairs hippocampal neurogenesis in male rats

TLDR

High‑fat diets and obesity are linked to type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. Four weeks of ad libitum high‑fat feeding reduced hippocampal neurogenesis in male rats, not females, likely via elevated corticosterone, indicating male susceptibility.

Abstract

High fat diets and obesity pose serious health problems, such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Impaired cognitive function is also associated with high fat intake. In this study, we show that just 4 weeks of feeding a diet rich in fat ad libitum decreased hippocampal neurogenesis in male, but not female, rats. There was no obesity, but male rats fed a diet rich in fat exhibited elevated serum corticosterone levels compared with those fed standard rat chow. These data indicate that high dietary fat intake can disrupt hippocampal neurogenesis, probably through an increase in serum corticosterone levels, and that males are more susceptible than females.