Ketogenic diet promotes the proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in ME region by activating fatty acid oxidation.

ABSTRACT

Hypothalamic median eminence (ME) is a potential niche for neurons and oligodendrocytes, and trophic factors may regulate hypothalamic function by inducing cellular changes in the ME region. To determine whether diet-induced plasticity exists in hypothalamic stem cells dormant under physiological conditions, we used a combination of a normal diet, a high-fat diet, and a ketogenic diet (a low-carb, high-fat diet) to compare the proliferation of tanycytes (TCs) and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in the ME area of mice under the different diets. The results showed that the ketogenic diet could induce and promote the proliferation of OPCs in the ME area, and blocking the fatty acid oxidation program could inhibit the proliferation of OPCs induced by a ketogenic diet. This study preliminarily revealed the diet-induced effect on OPCs in the ME region and provided enlightenment for further study on the function of OPCs in the ME region.