Studying the effects of mild and severe lysine deficiency on hippocampal-related functions

Numerous reports have correlated lysine deficiency with cognitive decline; however, the effect of lysine deficiency on hippocampal neurogenesis has not yet been addressed in the literature. This study hypothesizes the impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis and thus hippocampal-related functions due to mild and severe induced dietary lysine deficiency. Here, we aim to observe the effect of mild and severe lysine deficiency on rodents' cognitive functions, memory, and adult hippocampal neurogenesis. In this project, male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three randomized groups (8 rats per group) and maintained on their respective diets for 4 weeks.The control group received an adequate amount of lysine in the diet, whereas the mild and severe groups received 30% and 60% less lysine than the control, respectively. Body composition and food intake were monitored weekly. Brdu was administered at different time points to assess for proliferation and neurogenesis. Results showed that both body and liver weights decreased in rats with severe lysine deficiency compared to the sham rats. Also, behavioral tests, including open field, novel object recognition, Y-maze and elevated plus maze, showed an altered cognitive function in lysine-deficient rats compared to sham rats. Further assessment of proliferation and neurogenesis will be performed. This study will aid in the understanding of the pathways involved between lysine deficiency and brain-related dysfunctions and potentially unveil strategies to limit lysine deficiency as a preventative approach.