Fructose diet ameliorates effects of macrophage migration inhibitory factor deficiency on prefrontal cortex inflammation, neural plasticity, and behavior in male mice

Abstract Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine that represents a link between diet‐induced inflammation and insulin resistance. Our aim was to examine whether fructose diet affects inflammation and insulin signaling in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of Mif knockout mice (MIF‐KO), and their possible link to neural plasticity and behavior. We analyzed nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) and glucocorticoid signaling, expression of F4/80, IL‐1β, TNF‐α, TLR‐4, MyD88, arginase 1 ( Arg‐1 ), mannose receptor ( Mrc‐1 ), and leukemia inhibitory factor ( Lif ) to assess inflammation in the PFC of C57/BL6J and MIF‐KO mice consuming 20% fructose solution for 9 weeks. Insulin receptor (IR), IRS‐1 serine phosphorylations (307 and 1101) and activity of PKCα, Akt, GSK‐3β and AMPKα were used to analyze insulin signaling. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) mRNA levels, together with synapthophysin and PSD‐95 protein level and calcium calmodulin‐dependent kinase 2 (CaMKII) activity, were used as plasticity markers. Behavior was examined in elevated plus maze, light dark box and novel object recognition test. The results showed concomitant increase of Tnf‐α , Tlr‐4 , MyD88 and M2 microglia markers ( Arg‐1, Mrc‐1, Lif ) in the PFC of MIF‐KO, paralleled with unchanged glucocorticoid and insulin signaling. Increase of BDNF and IGF‐1 was paralleled with increased CaMKII activity, decreased PSD‐95 protein level, anxiogenic behavior, and impaired memory in MIF‐KO mice. Fructose feeding restored these parameters in the PFC to the control level and mitigated behavioral changes, suggesting that ameliorating effects of fructose on neuroinflammation and behavior depend on the presence of MIF.