Sex-Dependent Cognitive Performance in Baboon Offspring Following Maternal Caloric Restriction in Pregnancy and Lactation

• Published in: Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) Calif.), 2012-05, Vol.19 (5), p.493-504
• Main Authors: Rodriguez, Jesse S., Bartlett, Thad Q., Keenan, Kathryn E., Nathanielsz, Peter W., Nijland, Mark J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Attention; Behavior, Animal; Caloric Restriction - adverse effects; Cognition - physiology; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Embryology; Female; Lactation; Learning; Male; Medicine & Public Health; Memory; Motivation; Obstetrics/Perinatology/Midwifery; Original; Original Articles; Papio; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - veterinary; Reproductive Medicine; Sex Characteristics
• ISSN: 1933-7191; 1933-7205
• DOI: 10.1177/1933719111424439

In humans a suboptimal diet during development has negative outcomes in offspring. We investigated the behavioral outcomes in baboons born to mothers undergoing moderate maternal nutrient restriction (MNR). Maternal nutrient restriction mothers (n = 7) were fed 70% of food eaten by controls (CTR, n = 12) fed ad libitum throughout gestation and lactation. At 3.3 ± 0.2 (mean ± standard error of the mean [SEM]) years of age offspring (controls: female [FC, n = 8], male [MC, n = 4]; nutrient restricted: female [FR, n = 3] and male [MR, n = 4]) were administered progressive ratio, simple discrimination, intra-/extra-dimension set shift and delayed matching to sample tasks to assess motivation, learning, attention, and working memory, respectively. A treatment effect was observed in MNR offspring who demonstrated less motivation and impaired working memory. Nutrient-restricted female offspring showed improved learning, while MR offspring showed impaired learning and attentional set shifting and increased impulsivity. In summary, 30% restriction in maternal caloric intake has long lasting neurobehavioral outcomes in adolescent male baboon offspring.