Short-term consumption of ultra-processed diets impairs the sense of smell and brain physiology [Brain]

Considering the present scenario of fast-paced life, the major shifts in eating culture in the last five decades, and the crucial role of smell in food intake, it is thus crucial to map and better understand the effects of ultra-processed diets - especially under short-term regimens - on our brain metabolism and sense of smell. To address this question, we used mice to investigate the effects of the short-term consumption of three diets varying in macronutrient composition and origin (one whole-grain-based and two ultra-processed synthetic diets) on the transcriptional profiles of the olfactory mucosa and different brain regions. Comparative gene expression profiling analysis of mRNA-seq data from organs/tissues of mice submitted to High Fat Diet (HFD), Normal Chow Diet (NCD) or Synthetic Chow Diet (SCD).鉴于当前快节奏的生活现状、近五十年来饮食文化的显著转变，以及嗅觉在进食过程中的关键作用，故而系统解析并深入认知超加工饮食（ultra-processed diets）——尤其是短期膳食模式下——对大脑代谢与嗅觉功能的影响，已成为至关重要的研究课题。为解答这一科学问题，本研究以小鼠为模型，探究了三种宏营养素组成与来源各异的膳食（一种全谷物基础膳食，以及两种超加工合成膳食）的短期摄入对嗅黏膜及不同脑区转录谱的影响。本研究对饲喂高脂膳食（High Fat Diet, HFD）、普通维持饲料（Normal Chow Diet, NCD）或合成维持饲料（Synthetic Chow Diet, SCD）的小鼠器官/组织的mRNA测序数据开展了比较基因表达谱分析。