How Light and Fatty Foods Impact Pregnant Mice

Did you know that constant light and high-fat diets can mess with a pregnant mouse's daily routine? Scientists studied pregnant ICR mice to see how these factors affected their behavior and health. They found that mice on high-fat diets ate more at night and had higher stress levels during nursing. Surprisingly, mice exposed to constant bright light also showed changes in their daily patterns and stress levels. This could have potential effects on their babies' health. The study included three types of diets: a normal diet, a high-fat diet with 60% fat, and a control diet with 10% fat. The mice were also exposed to different lighting conditions: a regular 12-hour light-dark cycle, continuous dim light, and continuous bright light. The results showed that the amount of food the mice ate depended on the light, their diet, the time of day, and whether they were pregnant or nursing. High-fat diets and bright light also increased the mice's stress levels during nursing. The mice in the study showed daily activity rhythms, spending more time outside their nests during the second 24 hours after giving birth. However, mice exposed to constant bright light and those on high-fat diets had disrupted activity patterns. These changes in behavior can affect the mice's stress levels and the release of stress hormones. High stress levels could have potential impacts on the mother's and offspring's health.