Sex‐Dependent Effects of Maternal Caloric Restriction, but Not Intermittent Fasting, on Offspring Hippocampal Memory and Antioxidant Activity

ABSTRACT During the lactation period, maternal malnutrition can lead the offspring to deficiencies in brain development and impact behavior throughout life. This study evaluated the effects of maternal dietary restrictions, caloric restriction (CR), and intermittent fasting (IF) during lactation on the memory and hippocampal redox state of the adolescent offspring (males and females). The litters (dam and 8 pups) received the diets: control—received the lab chow (Nuvilab CR‐1) ad libitum, CR—received 50% of the chow consumed by the control group, and IF—received lab chow ad libitum for the first 24 h, followed by a 24‐h period without access to food. In the adolescence period, the offspring (males and females) performed the novel object recognition test (NOR) for the evaluation of long‐term memory. Subsequently, the redox state of the hippocampus was analyzed. Male offspring of the CR diet, but not females, showed memory impairments in the NOR test. Male and female offspring of the CR diet displayed higher activity of hippocampal SOD and GST enzymes, a result that may be related to a compensatory mechanism in an attempt to restore redox balance. In contrast, the IF diet did not lead to significant changes in memory and the hippocampus redox state.