Sex-dependent preventive effects of prenatal N-acetyl-cysteine on neuronal, emotional and metabolic dysfunctions following exposure to maternal high-fat diet in mice.

ABSTRACT: While a clear association between maternal obesity and an increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders in the offspring has been described, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We hypothesised that a maternal high-fat diet (mHFD) would act as a stressor, increasing glucocorticoids, resulting in an altered redox balance and disrupted neuronal plasticity of the limbic system. Such enduring effects would impair the emotional and cognitive profile, neuroendocrine responses, and metabolic and redox homeostasis in the adult offspring. We utilised a mouse model and a translational cellular model employing human neurons derived from inducible Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) to evaluate the impact of mHFD on neurodevelopment and to test the protection afforded by the antioxidant N-ac

SUBMITTER: Musillo C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12373772 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature