This study investigates frailty, defined as the accumulation of deficits in physiological functioning, by applying the Skeletal Frailty Index (SFI) to a skeletal sample (N=67) recovered from the Mississippi State Asylum (MSA), and in a comparative sample, the Terry Collection. The SFI was statistically modified to increase its utility here. Variables that influence frailty, including age, sex, stress in early-life, and resilience, were assessed relative to four SFIs: Overall, Nutritional, Activity, and Infection. This study finds that the predicted relationships between the SFIs and the aforementioned variables are largely absent in the MSA sample. When compared to individuals in the Terry, MSA individuals generally manifest a lower prevalence of biomarkers but have reduced longevity, which suggests that MSA patients experienced higher frailty and lower resilience. This may be attributable to negative biosocial experiences over the life course prior to institutionalization, but primarily to often-negative environmental conditions during institutionalization.

While the impacts of maternal obesity on placental development have been extensively studied, the role of the father’s health in regulating placentation is less understood. Paternal obesity is associated with offspring metabolic dysfunction, but the mechanism regulating this association is unclear. We investigated how paternal diet-induced obesity impacted placental vascular development, associated cellular stress pathways, and markers of placental endocrine function and macronutrient transport across gestation in a murine model. We found that paternal obesity is associated with placental hypoxia as measured by CAIX and HIF1α at E14.5 which persisted to E18.5. Hypoxia was associated with increased VEGF protein levels, as well as its pro-angiogenic receptor, VEGFR2 in male and female E14.5 placentae, although, this increase was apparent only in females at E18.5. The proportion of placental tissue that was immunopositive for the endothelial cell marker CD31 was increased in female but not male E18.5 placentae. Paternal obesity was associated with cellular stress as measured by the three branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR): ATF6, PERK, and IRE1α. However, despite increased phosphorylation of PERK and IRE1α in placental tissue derived from obese fathers, there was no impact on downstream signal transducers. Pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family members’ transcript levels were reduced at E18.5 in placentae from obese fathers, but this did not correspond to any changes in cleaved casp-3 protein levels. Placental lactogen and macronutrient transporter transcript levels were similar between groups across gestation, although Igf2 transcripts were increased in female placenta from obese fathers at both mid and late gestation. Thus, paternal obesity results in placental hypoxia and VEGF mediated sex specific changes in vascularization with a pro-angiogenic response occurring in females. Future studies will investigate whether paternal obesity impairs early placental implantation, resulting in poor vascularization and hypoxia at E18.5. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Adult exposure to high fat diet (HFD) has been linked to increased risk of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases; however, the contribution of gestational HFD to elevated oxidative stress (OS), perinatal cardiovascular, skeletal, and metabolic dysfunction as well as long-term effects on adult offspring are incompletely understood. Pathophysiologic mechanisms linking gestational HFD, OS, and insulin resistance to perinatal development and adult-onset chronic diseases are explored in the present study, and maternal antioxidant (quercetin) is offered as a potential preventive dietary supplement to reduce fetal and maternal sequelae of HFD. Female C57BL/6 mice were fed "cafeteria-style" HFD (including 32.1% saturated fat to mimic a typical fast food menu) with or without quercetin for one month prior to conception, and throughout gestation. HFD dams developed gestational diabetes with significantly increased placental OS and vasculopathy. Neonates were smaller at birth than age-matched controls, and surviving offspring developed type 2 diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis during adulthood, despite having been fed healthy diet throughout their postnatal life. Additional measures of bone using three-dimensionally reconstructed computed tomographic image analysis (microCT) revealed microarchitectural changes of bone at birth, and at 6 and 12 months postnatally. Fetuses from HFD dams displayed diminished bone mineral density (BMD) and disrupted endochondral and intramembranous ossification with significantly shortened distal limb lengths, as compared to offspring of standard rodent chow dams. Skeletal malformation persisted into adulthood despite the fact that both control and HFD offspring were fed conventional rodent chow throughout postnatal life. The offspring gestationally exposed to HFD showed significant decreased femoral BMD at 6 months of age and dysregulation of distal femoral trabecular architecture at 12 months of age, indicating development of osteoporosis. We were able to reduce incidence of placental vasculopathy, fetal maldevelopment and adult-onset type 2 diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis with concurrent maternal quercetin supplementation during pregnancy. Collectively, these data suggested that maternal HFD increases placental OS and vascular damage during pregnancy, which are associated with fetal malformation and elevated adult-onset multisystemic chronic diseases. Maternal quercetin supplementation must be further explored as a potential dietary intervention for improved placental integrity, fetal development and lifelong health. / Ph. D.

Chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are diseases of long duration, slow progression, and are by far the leading cause of death worldwide. A growing body of evidence links adverse exposures in early development with an increased risk of chronic diseases in adult life. The studies presented in this dissertation sought to exploit this phenomenon to determine the extent to which gestational and lactational exposure to a high fat diet predisposes the offspring to certain diseases in later life and if the eating habits of adult offspring would be able to mitigate or exacerbate these conditions.  In the study presented in Chapter III, dams fed an atherogenic high fat diet prior to conception and throughout gestation and lactation experienced excess hepatic lipid accumulation and poor birth outcome as characterized by smaller litter sizes and higher post-delivery mortality. In the offspring, gestational and lactational exposure to such a diet resulted in growth restriction and skeletal aberrations indicative of osteoporosis, despite being fed a standard rodent diet post-weaning. We propose that dietary-induced hyperlipidemia, along with pregnancy-associated factors, resulted in fatty liver and subsequently reduced litter sizes and increased early mortality, and that the skeletal aberrations seen in the mature offspring represent dietary-induced inhibition of osteogenesis in favor of adipogenesis. In the study presented in Chapter IV, early exposure to a high fat diet resulted in central obesity, elevated lipid levels, hyperglycemia, and additional markers used in the diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome. Altering the diets of the mature offspring demonstrated that the eating habits of adulthood have the potential to mitigate or exacerbate certain metabolic parameters established earlier in life. Mechanisms contributing to the observed metabolic aberrations could include developmental plasticity and mismatch, catch-up growth, and altered programming of the appetite regulatory network. Collectively, this research suggests that early exposure to a fat-rich diet can lead to metabolic and skeletal aberrations in the adult offspring and adds support to the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis by finding that adverse nutritional exposures in early life can play a role in the chronic diseases of adulthood. / Ph. D.

Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. An elevated body weight is the result of the interplay between susceptibility gene variants and an obesogenic environment, and recent evidence shows that epigenetic processes are likely involved. The growing availability of high-throughput technologies has made it possible to assess quickly the entire epigenome of large samples at a relatively low cost. As a result, vast amounts of data have been generated and researchers are now confronted to both bioinformatic and biostatistic challenges to make sense of such data in the context of obesity and its complications. In this doctoral thesis, we explored associations between the human blood methylome and obesity-associated gene variants as well as dietary fat quality and quantity. We used well described preprocessing techniques and statistical methods, along with publicly available data from consortiums and other research groups, as well as tools for pathway enrichment and chromatin state inference. We found associations between obesityassociated SNPs and methylation levels at proximal promoters and enhancers, and some of these associations were replicated in multiple tissues. We also found that contrary to dietary fat quantity, dietary fat quality associates with methylation levels in the promoter of genes involved in metabolic pathways. Then, using a gene-targeted approach, we looked at the impact of an acute environmental stress (sleep loss) on the methylation and transcription levels of circadian clock genes in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of healthy men. We found that a single night of wakefulness can alter the epigenetic and transcriptional profile of core circadian clock genes in a tissue-specific manner. Finally, we looked at the effects of chronic maternal obesity and subsequent weight loss on the transcription of epigenetic machinery genes in the fetus and placenta of mice. We found that the transcription of epigenetic machinery genes is highly sensitive to maternal weight trajectories, and particularly those of the histone acetylation pathway. Overall, this thesis demonstrated that genetics, obesogenic environment stimuli and maternal programming impact epigenetic marks at genomic locations relevant in the pathogenesis of obesity.

Puerto Rico has the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes, low birth-weight, and the second highest prevalence of preterm-birth in all the U.S. and its non-incorporated territories. These conditions are related. Birth-weight at both ends of the spectrum and preterm-birth are associated with an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and immune-inflammatory dysregulations. Maternal psychosocial stressors during pregnancy have also been recognized as potential risk factors for type 2 diabetes, and have been consistently associated with preterm-birth and low birth-weight across populations. Current evidence points toward epigenetic fetal metabolic-programming as the mechanism that underlies the increased risk for the previously mentioned morbidities. However, the particular psychosocial stressors that may contribute to the high prevalence of low birth-weight and preterm-birth in the population of Puerto Rico have not been well studied. The present study assesses the relationships between particular psychosocial stressors, socioeconomic status, food insecurity, and birth outcomes. The results of this study show that low-risk pregnancy women were more likely to have babies with a higher ponderal index if they were exposed to stressors during gestation months 5, 6, and 7, or if exposed to "relationship stress" at any time during pregnancy. Women exposed to "financial difficulties" at any time during pregnancy were more likely to deliver babies at an earlier gestational age. Differences in birth outcomes between the exposed and non-exposed women were independent of maternal anthropometric measurements, maternal age at birth, number of previous births, and sex of the baby. Significant differences in birth outcomes were found between categories of father's self-identified and identified by others ethnicity, but sample size within categories was small. Although mothers with children at home had higher levels of food insecurity, and the level of food insecurity was correlated with higher levels of stress, no birth outcome measure was associated with food insecurity. Some results are atypical in comparison with other populations, and therefore these findings may contribute to the understanding of population differences in the relationship between maternal stress during pregnancy and birth outcomes. The relatively small sample size and strict exclusion criteria of this study may limit the generalizability of the findings. Epidemiological similarities between Puerto Rico and other populations, and the possibility of a higher ponderal index increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes in the population of Puerto Rico need to be examined in future research.

Background: Maternal stress during utero has been shown to have negative health consequences on the offspring, including low birth weight and increased risk of adult disease. Variation in breastmilk may act as an environmental cue of maternal stress and continue to program the infant during early life. This research aimed to explore the role of breastmilk on developmental programming of the infant. Specifically, to examine how breastmilk may act as a medium for the exposure of stress between the mother and the offspring, and see if variation in insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) a potential mechanism for the relationship. Methods: Survey-interviews, anthropometrics of the mother and offspring (height and weight), and breastmilk samples were collected for 31 breastfeeding mother-offspring pairs in the Tampa Bay area. Breastmilk was analyzed for IGF-1 and fat content. Maternal stress was measured through the PSS-10 and two self-reported ten-point stress scales. Offspring length for age and weight for age Z-scores were calculated using LMS equation. Results: PPS-10 score was negatively correlated with child length for age and weight for age Z-scores. Child length for age and weight for age Z-scores were also negatively correlated with the breastmilk fat variables (creamatocrit percent, fat g/dL, and kcal/dL). No relationships were found between breastmilk IGF-1 and offspring length for age, weight for age, or maternal stress. Conclusions: Results indicate that maternal stress may negatively impact offspring growth. However, more research is necessary to better understand if or how breastmilk fat may act as a mechanism to mediate offspring growth due to maternal stress. This sample had low levels and prevalence of detectable IGF-1, which likely contributed to the lack of statistical relationships. Further research using lower dilutions and larger samples sizes is necessary to better explore the potential role of breastmilk IGF-1 on offspring growth and/or its relationship to maternal stress.

Alimentação hedônica e homeostática são fatores independentes envolvidos no desenvolvimento da obesidade. Apesar de já se saber que a superalimentação precoce altera a alimentação não hedônica na vida adulta, pouco se sabe sobre seu impacto sobre a preferência por alimentos doces. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de verificar o comportamento alimentar de ratos superalimentados no período de lactação, com foco principalmente no comportamento alimentar hedônico, e correlacionar com o funcionamento do sistema dopaminérgico mesolímbico, que sabidamente está envolvido na sua regulação. Ninhadas de ratos foram reduzidas a 4 filhotes (ninhada pequena - SL) ou 8 filhotes (ninhada normal - NL) no dia 1 de vida. O desmame ocorreu no dia 21, e todos os testes foram realizados a partir do dia 84 de vida. O consumo de ração foi realizado em condições basais, em resposta à jejum de 24h, na presença de comida palatável (doce), durante isolamento social, e em resposta ao teste de pinçamento da cauda (tail-pinch). Antes de testados com alimento doce, os ratos foram habituados a esse alimento. Locomoção foi aferida em um aparato automatizado. A Área Tegmentar Ventral (VTA) e o Núcleo Accumbens (Acc) foram dissecados a partir de microfatias congeladas. Tecido muscular foi dissecado e processado para medida da fosforilação de AKT (p-AKT) em resposta à insulina. AKT, p-AKT e Tirosina Hidroxilase (TH) foram medidas por método de western-blot. A quantidade de gordura abdominal foi cuidadosamente dissecada e pesada. Resultados: Ratos SL foram mais pesados que os NL em todas as medidas, e ao sacrifício apresentavam maior gordura abdominal (p=0,035). A atividade locomotora não foi diferente quanto à distância percorrida, mas os ratos SL exploraram a região central por mais tempo, indicando menor comportamento ansioso (p=0,036). Não se encontrou diferenças quanto ao consumo de ração padrão (p=0.085) ou alimento doce em condições basais (p=0,65), mas ratos SL tiveram maior consumo de doce num paradigma de escolha com ração-padrão (p=0,017) e em resposta ao estresse de pinçamento da cauda (interação teste x grupo, p=0,006). TH encontrou-se aumentada em ratos SL, tanto no VTA (p=0.016) quanto no Acc (p=0,022). Ratos SL não diferiram quanto a fosforilação do AKT no músculo, porém tiveram menor AKT (p=0,047), o que sugere uma resistência periférica à insulina latente. Em conclusão, a exposição a superalimentação no período de lactação reduz a ansiedade, induz obesidade e programa o comportamento alimentar persistentemente, de maneira que esses animais têm maior preferência por alimento doce. A esses resultados se soma a alteração dos níveis de TH nas vias mesolímbicas, o que sugere a participação destas nessa alteração de comportamento. / Hedonic and homeostatic food intakes are independent factors involved in the development of obesity. Although it is well known that early life overfeeding increases food intake in adulthood, little is know about its impact on the palatable food preference in adulthood. We aimed at verifying feeding behavior in this model, with special focus in the hedonic compound, and correlate it to the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway known to be involved in its regulation. Rat litters were standardized to 4 (small litter - SL) or 8 pups (normal litter- NL) at postnatal day 1. Weaning was at day 21, and all tests were conducted after day 84 of life. Chow consumption was measured at baseline, in response to 24h fasting, in the presence of palatable food, during social isolation and after 1 min. tail pinch stress. Prior to testing sweet food, rats were habituated to the sweet pellets. Locomotion was assessed in an automated box. The ventral tegmentar area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens were micro dissected from frozen brain slices. Muscular tissue was also dissected for assessing the phosphorylation of Akt in response to an insulin challenge. Akt, pAkt and TH proteins were assessed by Western-blot. The abdominal fat content was weighed. Results: SL rats were heavier than NL at all time points and had increased abdominal fat at sacrifice (p=0.035). Locomotor activity was not different with regard to total distance, but RL rats spent more time in the center of the box, an indicative of less anxiety (p=0.036). No difference was found in chow (p=0.085) or sweet food intake at baseline (p=0.65), but SL rats had higher intake of sweet pellets in a two food choice paradigm (p=0.017) and in response to tail pinch stress (test x group interaction, p=0.006). TH was higher in SL rats VTA (p=0.016) and in the nucleus accumbens (p=0.022). SL animals had decreased Akt in the muscle (p=0.047), which suggest a latent peripheral insulin resistance, but p-AKT and the AKT/p-AKT ratio were not different. In conclusion, exposure to overfeeding during the neonatal period decreases anxiety, induces obesity and programs the feeding behavior persistently, in such a way that the animals eat more palatable food. These results are associated with a higher TH protein content and transport in these animals, which suggests that the dopaminergic mesolimbic circuitry may involved in the behavioral findings.

Alimentação hedônica e homeostática são fatores independentes envolvidos no desenvolvimento da obesidade. Apesar de já se saber que a superalimentação precoce altera a alimentação não hedônica na vida adulta, pouco se sabe sobre seu impacto sobre a preferência por alimentos doces. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de verificar o comportamento alimentar de ratos superalimentados no período de lactação, com foco principalmente no comportamento alimentar hedônico, e correlacionar com o funcionamento do sistema dopaminérgico mesolímbico, que sabidamente está envolvido na sua regulação. Ninhadas de ratos foram reduzidas a 4 filhotes (ninhada pequena - SL) ou 8 filhotes (ninhada normal - NL) no dia 1 de vida. O desmame ocorreu no dia 21, e todos os testes foram realizados a partir do dia 84 de vida. O consumo de ração foi realizado em condições basais, em resposta à jejum de 24h, na presença de comida palatável (doce), durante isolamento social, e em resposta ao teste de pinçamento da cauda (tail-pinch). Antes de testados com alimento doce, os ratos foram habituados a esse alimento. Locomoção foi aferida em um aparato automatizado. A Área Tegmentar Ventral (VTA) e o Núcleo Accumbens (Acc) foram dissecados a partir de microfatias congeladas. Tecido muscular foi dissecado e processado para medida da fosforilação de AKT (p-AKT) em resposta à insulina. AKT, p-AKT e Tirosina Hidroxilase (TH) foram medidas por método de western-blot. A quantidade de gordura abdominal foi cuidadosamente dissecada e pesada. Resultados: Ratos SL foram mais pesados que os NL em todas as medidas, e ao sacrifício apresentavam maior gordura abdominal (p=0,035). A atividade locomotora não foi diferente quanto à distância percorrida, mas os ratos SL exploraram a região central por mais tempo, indicando menor comportamento ansioso (p=0,036). Não se encontrou diferenças quanto ao consumo de ração padrão (p=0.085) ou alimento doce em condições basais (p=0,65), mas ratos SL tiveram maior consumo de doce num paradigma de escolha com ração-padrão (p=0,017) e em resposta ao estresse de pinçamento da cauda (interação teste x grupo, p=0,006). TH encontrou-se aumentada em ratos SL, tanto no VTA (p=0.016) quanto no Acc (p=0,022). Ratos SL não diferiram quanto a fosforilação do AKT no músculo, porém tiveram menor AKT (p=0,047), o que sugere uma resistência periférica à insulina latente. Em conclusão, a exposição a superalimentação no período de lactação reduz a ansiedade, induz obesidade e programa o comportamento alimentar persistentemente, de maneira que esses animais têm maior preferência por alimento doce. A esses resultados se soma a alteração dos níveis de TH nas vias mesolímbicas, o que sugere a participação destas nessa alteração de comportamento. / Hedonic and homeostatic food intakes are independent factors involved in the development of obesity. Although it is well known that early life overfeeding increases food intake in adulthood, little is know about its impact on the palatable food preference in adulthood. We aimed at verifying feeding behavior in this model, with special focus in the hedonic compound, and correlate it to the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway known to be involved in its regulation. Rat litters were standardized to 4 (small litter - SL) or 8 pups (normal litter- NL) at postnatal day 1. Weaning was at day 21, and all tests were conducted after day 84 of life. Chow consumption was measured at baseline, in response to 24h fasting, in the presence of palatable food, during social isolation and after 1 min. tail pinch stress. Prior to testing sweet food, rats were habituated to the sweet pellets. Locomotion was assessed in an automated box. The ventral tegmentar area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens were micro dissected from frozen brain slices. Muscular tissue was also dissected for assessing the phosphorylation of Akt in response to an insulin challenge. Akt, pAkt and TH proteins were assessed by Western-blot. The abdominal fat content was weighed. Results: SL rats were heavier than NL at all time points and had increased abdominal fat at sacrifice (p=0.035). Locomotor activity was not different with regard to total distance, but RL rats spent more time in the center of the box, an indicative of less anxiety (p=0.036). No difference was found in chow (p=0.085) or sweet food intake at baseline (p=0.65), but SL rats had higher intake of sweet pellets in a two food choice paradigm (p=0.017) and in response to tail pinch stress (test x group interaction, p=0.006). TH was higher in SL rats VTA (p=0.016) and in the nucleus accumbens (p=0.022). SL animals had decreased Akt in the muscle (p=0.047), which suggest a latent peripheral insulin resistance, but p-AKT and the AKT/p-AKT ratio were not different. In conclusion, exposure to overfeeding during the neonatal period decreases anxiety, induces obesity and programs the feeding behavior persistently, in such a way that the animals eat more palatable food. These results are associated with a higher TH protein content and transport in these animals, which suggests that the dopaminergic mesolimbic circuitry may involved in the behavioral findings.

Alimentação hedônica e homeostática são fatores independentes envolvidos no desenvolvimento da obesidade. Apesar de já se saber que a superalimentação precoce altera a alimentação não hedônica na vida adulta, pouco se sabe sobre seu impacto sobre a preferência por alimentos doces. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de verificar o comportamento alimentar de ratos superalimentados no período de lactação, com foco principalmente no comportamento alimentar hedônico, e correlacionar com o funcionamento do sistema dopaminérgico mesolímbico, que sabidamente está envolvido na sua regulação. Ninhadas de ratos foram reduzidas a 4 filhotes (ninhada pequena - SL) ou 8 filhotes (ninhada normal - NL) no dia 1 de vida. O desmame ocorreu no dia 21, e todos os testes foram realizados a partir do dia 84 de vida. O consumo de ração foi realizado em condições basais, em resposta à jejum de 24h, na presença de comida palatável (doce), durante isolamento social, e em resposta ao teste de pinçamento da cauda (tail-pinch). Antes de testados com alimento doce, os ratos foram habituados a esse alimento. Locomoção foi aferida em um aparato automatizado. A Área Tegmentar Ventral (VTA) e o Núcleo Accumbens (Acc) foram dissecados a partir de microfatias congeladas. Tecido muscular foi dissecado e processado para medida da fosforilação de AKT (p-AKT) em resposta à insulina. AKT, p-AKT e Tirosina Hidroxilase (TH) foram medidas por método de western-blot. A quantidade de gordura abdominal foi cuidadosamente dissecada e pesada. Resultados: Ratos SL foram mais pesados que os NL em todas as medidas, e ao sacrifício apresentavam maior gordura abdominal (p=0,035). A atividade locomotora não foi diferente quanto à distância percorrida, mas os ratos SL exploraram a região central por mais tempo, indicando menor comportamento ansioso (p=0,036). Não se encontrou diferenças quanto ao consumo de ração padrão (p=0.085) ou alimento doce em condições basais (p=0,65), mas ratos SL tiveram maior consumo de doce num paradigma de escolha com ração-padrão (p=0,017) e em resposta ao estresse de pinçamento da cauda (interação teste x grupo, p=0,006). TH encontrou-se aumentada em ratos SL, tanto no VTA (p=0.016) quanto no Acc (p=0,022). Ratos SL não diferiram quanto a fosforilação do AKT no músculo, porém tiveram menor AKT (p=0,047), o que sugere uma resistência periférica à insulina latente. Em conclusão, a exposição a superalimentação no período de lactação reduz a ansiedade, induz obesidade e programa o comportamento alimentar persistentemente, de maneira que esses animais têm maior preferência por alimento doce. A esses resultados se soma a alteração dos níveis de TH nas vias mesolímbicas, o que sugere a participação destas nessa alteração de comportamento. / Hedonic and homeostatic food intakes are independent factors involved in the development of obesity. Although it is well known that early life overfeeding increases food intake in adulthood, little is know about its impact on the palatable food preference in adulthood. We aimed at verifying feeding behavior in this model, with special focus in the hedonic compound, and correlate it to the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway known to be involved in its regulation. Rat litters were standardized to 4 (small litter - SL) or 8 pups (normal litter- NL) at postnatal day 1. Weaning was at day 21, and all tests were conducted after day 84 of life. Chow consumption was measured at baseline, in response to 24h fasting, in the presence of palatable food, during social isolation and after 1 min. tail pinch stress. Prior to testing sweet food, rats were habituated to the sweet pellets. Locomotion was assessed in an automated box. The ventral tegmentar area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens were micro dissected from frozen brain slices. Muscular tissue was also dissected for assessing the phosphorylation of Akt in response to an insulin challenge. Akt, pAkt and TH proteins were assessed by Western-blot. The abdominal fat content was weighed. Results: SL rats were heavier than NL at all time points and had increased abdominal fat at sacrifice (p=0.035). Locomotor activity was not different with regard to total distance, but RL rats spent more time in the center of the box, an indicative of less anxiety (p=0.036). No difference was found in chow (p=0.085) or sweet food intake at baseline (p=0.65), but SL rats had higher intake of sweet pellets in a two food choice paradigm (p=0.017) and in response to tail pinch stress (test x group interaction, p=0.006). TH was higher in SL rats VTA (p=0.016) and in the nucleus accumbens (p=0.022). SL animals had decreased Akt in the muscle (p=0.047), which suggest a latent peripheral insulin resistance, but p-AKT and the AKT/p-AKT ratio were not different. In conclusion, exposure to overfeeding during the neonatal period decreases anxiety, induces obesity and programs the feeding behavior persistently, in such a way that the animals eat more palatable food. These results are associated with a higher TH protein content and transport in these animals, which suggests that the dopaminergic mesolimbic circuitry may involved in the behavioral findings.