The Short-term and Long-term Effects of High-fat Diet on Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Diet is an important factor in regulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Diets that are high in saturated fatty acids have been shown to be associated with reduction in AHN specially in early developmental stages of the animal. Furthermore, these observed diet effects on AHN may be involved in mediating the cognitive impairments in animals on high-fat diets. The experiments presented in this thesis aimed to examine the short-term and long-term effects of a 4-week or 8-week period of high-fat diet (HFD; 45% of total energy contributed by saturated fatty acids) on AHN in young adult rats. Different stages of AHN were examined in this study including the proliferation, differentiation and maturation stages. Overall, contrary to what was expected, HFD did not cause a significant change in the level of AHN in any of the stages studied.M.Sc