Maternal voluntary physical exercise in the adult rat: evidence of exercise-associated differences in maternal food intake, and in brain effects on the progeny

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Maternal physical activity may impact behavioral and electrophysiological aspects of brain function, with short- and long-term effects on pre- and postnatal neurodevelopment of the offspring. This study evaluated in the rat the effects of maternal voluntary physical activity (MVPA) on food intake and weight gain in the dams, as well as anxiety-like behavior, short-term memory and the brain excitability-related phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression (CSD) on the mother-pup dyad.

Methods: Female Wistar rats (n=33) were individually housed in cages containing a running wheel for a 30-days adaptation period before mating. Rats were classified as inactive (I); active (A) or very active (VA) according to the distance spontaneously travelled daily. During gestation, the dams continued to have access to the running wheel. Mothers and their respective pups (1 pup per mother) were evaluated in the open field test (OFT), object recognition test (ORT), elevated plus maze test (EPMT) and the CSD propagation features.

Results: MVPA was directly associated with increased food intake and weight gain during gestation, and maternal anxiolytic-like behavioral responses in the OFT. Pups from VA mothers showed a high discrimination index for shape recognition memory (ORT) and decreased propagation velocities of CSD, when compared with the inactive group.

Discussion: The data suggest that MVPA during the gestational period induces neuroplasticity and may modulate the brain functions in the mother-infant dyad in the rat.

KEYWORDS:

• Anxiety-like behavior
• cortical spreading depression
• food intake
• memory
• neuroplasticity
• voluntary exercise

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, grant numbers 312079/2018-4; 406495/2018-1 and 305998/2018-8), Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level -or Education- Personnel (CAPES, grant numbers 797-20; 043/2013, Capes, Ciências Do Mar II Program and Capes BEX 2036/15-0. Finance Code 001) and Pernambuco State Science and Technology Support Foundation (FACEPE, grant number APQ: 0797-4.05/14). And INCT/MCT/CNPq (grant number 465671/2014-4).

Notes on contributors

Suenia Marcele Vitor-de-Lima

Suênia Marcele Vitor de Lima has graduated in Nutrition, with a Master's and a Ph. D. degrees in Nutrition, both at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco/Brazil.

Maria Luísa Figueira de Oliveira

Maria Luísa Figueira-de-Oliveira is a Ph.D. student in Biochemistry and Physioogy at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco/Brazil.

Izaura de Souza Tavares

Izaura de Souza Tavares has graduated in Nutrition, and has a Master's degree in Nutrition, both obtained at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco/Brazil.

Carol Virgínia Góis Leandro

Carol Virgínia Góis Leandro has graduated in Physical Education at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco/Brazil. She has a Master's degree and a Ph.D. degree in Sport Science at Universidade do Porto/Portugal. Currently, She is a Full Professor at Centro Acadêmico de Vitória de Santo Antao, da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco/Brazil.

Rubem Carlos Araújo Guedes

Rubem Carlos Araújo Guedes has graduated in Human Medicine from Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil, with a Master's degree in Biophysics at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro/Brazil, and a PhD degree in Human Medicine at the University of Göttingen, Germany. He is Full Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco/Brazil. He is the former supervisor of Dr Vitor-de-Lima during her M.S. course, and co-supervisor during her Ph.D. course.