Age-dependent effect of high cholesterol diets on anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze test in rats
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Age-dependent effect of high cholesterol diets on anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze test in rats Xu Hu1†, Tao Wang1†, Jia Luo1,2, Shan Liang1,2, Wei Li1,2, Xiaoli Wu1,2, Feng Jin1* and Li Wang3*
Abstract Background: Cholesterol is an essential component of brain and nerve cells and is essential for maintaining the function of the nervous system. Epidemiological studies showed that patients suffering from anxiety disorders have higher serum cholesterol levels. In this study, we investigated the influence of high cholesterol diet on anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze in animal model and explored the relationship between cholesterol and anxiety-like behavior from the aspect of central neurochemical changes. Methods: Young (3 weeks old) and adult (20 weeks old) rats were given a high cholesterol diet for 8 weeks. The anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze test and changes of central neurochemical implicated in anxiety were measured. Results: In young rats, high cholesterol diet induced anxiolytic-like behavior, decreased serum corticosterone (CORT), increased hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), increased hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and decreased glucocorticoid receptor (GR). In adult rats, high cholesterol diet induced anxiety-like behavior and increase of serum CORT and decrease of hippocampal BDNF comparing with their respective control group that fed the regular diet. Discussion: High cholesterol diet induced age-dependent effects on anxiety-like behavior and central neurochemical changes. High cholesterol diet might affect the central nervous system (CNS) function differently, and resulting in different behavior performance of anxiety in different age period. Keywords: High cholesterol, Anxiety-like behavior, Age-dependent, Hippocampus, Corticosterone, BDNF
Introduction Cholesterol is an essential component of all cell membranes and plays an important role in maintaining the structure and function of every system of the body including the nervous system [1-3]. Elevated serum cholesterol level is generally considered to be the most important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Recently, more and more studies have drawn growing attentions in the high co-morbidity between psychiatric disorders and CVDs [4,5]. Abnormalities in serum * Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] † Equal contributors 1 Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 3 The affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Zhejiang, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
cholesterol levels of patients with mood disorders have also been identified in epidemiological studies. High cholesterol levels in patients with anxiety disorders have been investigated in many studies. Studies demonstrated that panic disorder patients have significantly higher serum cholesterol levels compared with age and sexmatched hea
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