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ABSTRACT
Objetives: Omega-3 (n3) fatty acids have been studied as an option to alleviate the harmful effects of obesity. However, its role in obesity-related behavioral changes is still controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of n3 on behavior and neuroinflammation in obese animals. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control diet (CT), CT+n3, cafeteria diet (CAF), and CAF+n3. Diet was administered for 13 weeks, and n3 was supplemented during the last 5 weeks. Metabolic and biochemical parameters were evaluated, as well as anxiety-like behaviors. Immunoblots were conducted in the animals’ cerebral cortex and hippocampus to assess changes in neuroinflammatory markers.
Results: CAF-fed animals showed higher weight gain, visceral adiposity, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin levels, and n3 improved the lipid profile and restored insulin sensitivity. CAF-fed rats showed anxiety-like behaviors in the open field and light–dark box tasks but not in the contextual aversive conditioning. Omega-3 did not exert any effect on these behaviors. Regarding neuroinflammation, diet and supplementation acted in a region-specific manner. In the hippocampus, CAF reduced claudin-5 expression with no effect of n3, indicating a brain–blood barrier disruption following CAF. Furthermore, in the hippocampus, the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) were reduced in treated obese animals. However, n3 could not reverse the TLR-4 expression increase in the cerebral cortex.
Discussion: Although n3 may protect against some neuroinflammatory manifestations in the hippocampus, it does not seem sufficient to reverse the increase in anxiolytic manifestations caused by CAF.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Research Support Foundation of Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for the financial support.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Lucía Paola Facciola González
Lucía Paola Facciola González obtained her Bachelor of Biology from the Lutheran University of Brazil and Master's degree in Health Sciences from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Fernanda da Silva Rodrigues
Fernanda da Silva Rodrigues is a PhD student in Biosciences at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil. She obtained her Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Jeferson Jantsch
Jeferson Jantsch is a PhD student in Biosciences at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil. He obtained his Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Gabriel de Farias Fraga
Gabriel de Farias Fraga is an undergraduated student in Biomedical Science at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Samia Squizani
Samia Squizani is a PhD student in Biosciences at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil. She obtained her Bachelor in Pharmacy and Nutrition from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Luis Felipe dos Santos Castro
Luis Felipe dos Santos Castro is a previous undergraduate student who contributed to the project. He obtained his Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Lídia Luz Correia
Lídia Luz Correia is a previous undergraduate student who contributed to the project. She obtained her Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
João Pereira Neto
João Pereira Neto is a previous graduate student who contributed to the project. He obtained his PhD in Biosciences from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Márcia Giovenardi
Márcia Giovenardi is a professor in the Department of Basic Health Sciences at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil. She obtained her Master's degree and PhD in Physiology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Marilene Porawski
Marilene Porawski is a professor in the Department of Basic Health Sciences at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil. She obtained her Master's degree and PhD in Physiology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Renata Padilha Guedes
Renata Padilha Guedes is a professor in the Department of Basic Health Sciences at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil. She obtained her Master's degree in Neurosciences and PhD in Physiology from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.