Maternal food deprivation in F0 generation and hypercaloric diet in F1 generation reduced GFAP expression after an immune challenge in F2 generation in several brain areas

This study aimed to observe the impact of maternal food deprivation on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression by astrocytes in the following F1 and F2 generations. Pregnant female rats of the F0 generation were food-restricted (40%) from gestation day 5 to 18. F1 females were then fed with normocaloric (F1ND) or hypercaloric diet (F1HD) during puberty, from postnatal day (PND) 23 to 65. GFAP expression in astrocytes from different brain regions (frontal/parietal cortex, nucleus accumbens, hypothalamic arcuate/periventricular nuclei, molecular/granular layers of the cerebellum and pons) was studied by immunohistochemistry at PND90 in both F1 groups. Half of F1 females were mated to obtain the F2 generation. At PND50, F2 male pups from F1ND and F1HD groups were injected by intraperitoneal route with LPS (100 micrograms/kg) or 1 mL of 0.9% saline solution, originating groups F2NDS; F2NDLPS; F2HDS; F2HDLPS. After 14 h, GFAP expression was examined by morphometry using Metamorph software. Except for the pons, GFAP was increased in all regions from the FIHD group compared to F1ND. As for F2, F2HD pups presented a decreased GFAP expression all over the investigated areas compared to F2ND, even when challenged with LPS. Maternal food restriction during pregnancy in the F0 generation followed by hypercaloric diet in F1 females caused a dramatic loss of astrocytic GFAP expression in male F2 generation and a lack of responsivity to LPS.