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Methods:

Conventional and germ-free murine dams were exposed to 60% high fat diet (HFD) or regular diet (RD) prior to mating. Offspring brains were collected at 2-weeks of life and analyzed for inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17A, IL1β and TGF-β) and regulatory markers of neuronal development (Nurr1) by quantitative RT-PCR. RNA seq was performed on whole brain in conventional mice. We quantified differences in regional neurons by histology (Nissl and H&E). Behavioral studies on mHFD and RD offspring are ongoing.

Results:

mHFD offspring had a significant increase in the inflammatory cytokines IL-17A and IL-6 when compared to controls. Nurr1 was increased 50-fold in mHFD offspring. In germ-free mHFD offspring, there was no difference. Quantification of neurons by Nissl staining demonstrated a decrease in neuron cell count in the cortex (20% decrease), and in hippocampal regions (22% in CA2 and …