Impact of maternal obesity on the long-term brain health of offspring.

In England, 1 in 5 women of reproductive age are obese. Emerging evidence suggests that maternal obesity may be associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in offspring, and may increase the risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism by which obesity may programme disease. To date, few studies have determined the long-term impact of maternal obesity on cerebral structure and function in offspring. Furthermore, the mechanism by which obesity may programme neurological dysfunction, remain to be elucidated. The project will assess locomotor function, anxiety-related behaviour, cognition and social interactions, in male and female mice adult offspring from normal and obese mothers, using a battery of rodent behavioural tasks. In order to unravel the mechanisms of action pertaining to modifications in behaviour, immunohistochemical and molecular assessment of brain tissue will be performed to assess cerebral development and injury, alongside markers of lipid peroxidation, nitrosative and mitochondrial oxidative stress.