High Fat Diet Influences Spatial Learning and Brain Cholinergic and Antioxidant Systems in Male Rats

Diets rich in high fats have shown to exert detrimental effects on brain chemistry and cognitive functions. The present study was designed to examine the high fat (HF) diet induced age related perturbations in cholinergic and antioxidant systems of brain and associated dysfunctions in cognitive behavior of rats. Wistar albino rats (2 and 6 months) were fed with control and HF diet separately for a period of 8 weeks. It is evident that no significant changes were observed in body weight except in 7^th and 8^th week after consumption of HF diet. However, significant increased levels in total cholesterol and triglycerides were recorded in both 4 and 8 months age groups of HF diet fed rats. Results also showed decreased synaptosomal acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and, mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities where as MDA levels increased in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum regions of both age groups following consumption of HF diet. These HF diet induced alterations in cholinergic and antioxidant systems were greater in cortex and more pronounced at 8 months age rats. Spatial learning, memory and exploratory behaviors also decreased in 4 and 8 months age groups of HF diet fed rats. In conclusion, our results suggest that HF diet-induces impairments in spatial learning and alterations in brain cholinergic and antioxidant systems in age dependent manner.