We previously reported that a high-
carbohydrate diet (HCD) induced systemic
inflammation and higher
gene expression of proinflammatory mediators in the
liver,
skeletal muscle, and
brain than a
high-fat diet (HFD). However, the differences between the groups were less pronounced in the
brain. In this study, we extended the evaluation of
inflammation to specific areas of the
brain. In this study, we evaluated the
gene expression of
caspase 2,
caspase 3,
caspase 9,
cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox 2),
inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS),
interleukin (IL),
IL-6,
IL-1β,
IL-10,
IL-4,
tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α),
integrin subunit alpha m (Itgam),
S100 protein (S100),
allograft inflammatory factor 1 (Aif1), and
glial fibrillary acidic protein (Gfap) in the
prefrontal cortex and
hippocampus of
male Swiss mice that were fed with HCD or HFD for 8 weeks. The HCD group exhibited higher
IL-1β expression, whereas the HFD group showed higher TNF-α expression in the
prefrontal cortex. In the
hippocampus, TNF-α expression was higher in the HFD group.
IL-1β and TNF-α are proinflammatory
cytokines that have been associated with impaired
brain function and numerous
brain disorders. Our results indicate that both HCD and HFD promote
prefrontal cortex inflammation; however, the
hippocampus seems more sensitive to a HFD than HCD.