Cafeteria diet administered from lactation to adulthood promotes a change in risperidone sensitivity on anxiety, locomotion, memory, and social interaction of Wistar rats.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the nutritional status and behavior of animals fed a cafeteria diet from the onset of lactation after the addition of risperidone.

METHODS

During the lactation period, 14 litters of Wistar rats (dam + 8 pups) were fed one of two diets: control (CTRL; n = 7) or cafeteria (CAF; n = 7). After weaning, the males were placed in individual cages, receiving the same diet as offered to their respective dams. Food and caloric intake, body weight, feed and energy efficiency, and adipose tissue weight were evaluated in the male offspring. In adulthood, they were assigned to receive treatment with saline (CTRL-S, CAF-S) or risperidone (CTRL-R, CAF-R) (n = 21 in each group). They then underwent behavioral testing, which included the elevated plus maze, open field, object recognition, and social interaction tests. Variance analysis (ANOVA) was used, followed by Newman-Keuls when p-values were < 0.05.

RESULTS

The CAF group exhibited higher caloric intake, weight gain, feed efficiency, and adipose tissue than the CTRL group. The animals in the CAF group exhibited oxidative stress characteristics in the hippocampus, which may have compromised the function of this structure and promoted behavioral changes. The CAF-S group exhibited anxiety, as indicated by the greater number of entrances and time spent in the center of the open field. They also showed greater locomotion through a greater number of quadrants traveled. CAF-S animals also demonstrated memory impairments, assessed using the object recognition test, and decreased social interaction. The CAF-R group demonstrated anxiety and decreased locomotion in the open field. There was a decrease in their interaction with both objects in the object recognition test. The CAF-R group obtained greater sociability in the social interaction test. Such effects may be associated with changes in the serotonergic system of these animals.

CONCLUSION

Risperidone administered to animals on a cafeteria diet led to a greater reduction in locomotion, had an anxiogenic effect, caused impaired memory, and improved social interaction.