Grant: Operating Grant

In developed countries such as Canada, iron deficiency (ID) remains a nutritional problem. Although there is enough evidence to indicate that ID during gestation has an impact on the progeny, the biochemical, physiological and cognitive effects on the offspring are not well characterized. Iron is known to play an important role in central nervous system(CNS)development. Indeed, brain iron uptake is maximal during rapid brain growth which coincides with the peak of myelinogenesis. In fact, ID induced in young rats has been associated with hypomyelination. Furthermore, ID during early postnatal life results in learning deficits in rodents and in children. The possible mechanism(s) responsible for the CNS hypomyelination may be related to an alteration of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) metabolism. These long chain PUFA are precursors of the eicosanoids, potent metabolites involved in numerous biological functions. It is hypothesized that ID during gestation has a negative impact on CNS myelination resulting from an alteration in fatty acid and eicosanoid metabolism in the offspring's brain. This research program aims to investigate the impact of mild ID during gestation in guinea pigs on the offspring's learning and memory processes, auditory functions and CNS fatty acid and eicosanoid metabolism. The proposed research program should characterize some of the biochemical, physiological and cognitive effects of ID during gestation on the progeny.