Effects of maternal hyperleptinaemia during lactation on short-term memory/learning, anxiety-like and novelty-seeking behavioral traits of adult male rats.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether maternal hyperleptinaemia programs anxiety-like and novelty-seeking behaviors as well as short-term memory/learning in adult male Wistar rats. During the first 10 days of lactation dams were s.c. injected with either murine leptin (LEP) or saline (CON). Adult LEP offspring displayed less anxiety-like behavior and had better memory performance than CON ones, indicating that maternal hyperleptinaemia has specific long lasting behavioral effects at adulthood.