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. 2021 Sep 7;22(18):9662. doi: 10.3390/ijms22189662

Figure 2.

Figure 2

A maternal high-fat diet (HFD) during pregnancy and lactation provokes autism-like behavior in adolescent male offspring. (A) Schematic of the behavioral test timeline. Rat dams were fed a standard diet (SD) or HFD during pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, offspring were changed to the SD and tested in adolescence and adulthood. (B,C) Effect of the maternal HFD on the time spent in the center, number of entries into the center, sector crossings, and rearings, and the total movement time of male and female offspring in the open field test at postnatal day (PND) 28 (B, empty bars) and PND 63 (C, filled bars). PND 28: Rearing (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 41.11, p < 0.001), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 0.12, p = 0.73). PND 63: Sector crossing (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 11.66, p < 0.01), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 3.50, p = 0.07); Movement time (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 14.50, p < 0.001), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 12.56, p < 0.01). (D) Schematic of the open field test. (E) Schematic of the marble burying test. (F) Schematic of the social interaction test. (G) Schematic of the self-grooming test. (H,I) Effect of the maternal HFD on the number of marbles buried by male and female offspring at PND 30 (H, empty bars) and PND 65 (I, filled bars). PND 28: MB (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 9.03, p < 0.01), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 1.91, p = 0.17). (J,K) Effect of the maternal HFD on the time self-grooming and the latency to self-grooming of male and female offspring at PND 32 (J, empty bars) and PND 67 (K, filled bars). PND 28: SG (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 2.67, p = 0.11), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 5.19, p < 0.05); Latency (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 9.75, p < 0.01), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 0.45, p = 0.51). (L,M) Effect of the maternal HFD on the social interaction time, number of contacts, fighting episodes, sniffing episodes, and following episodes of male and female offspring in the social interaction test at PND 34 (L, empty bars) and PND 69 (M, filled bars). PND 28: Interaction time (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 8.69, p < 0.01), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 0.26, p = 0.62); fighting episodes (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 30.60, p < 0.001), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 7.90, p < 0.01); sniffing episodes (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 7.12, p < 0.05), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 0.15, p = 0.70). PND 63: Fighting episodes (main effect of diet: F(1, 36) = 8.40, p < 0.01), diet × sex interaction: F(1, 36) = 7.71, p < 0.01). Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM. n = 10 male and 10 female rats/experimental group. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and the Bonferroni multiple comparison post hoc test. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 versus SD.