Effects of a Calorie-Restricted Diet on the Content of Phospholipids in the Brain and Cognitive Functions in Rats

The energy value (caloricity) and composition of food allowance are important factors influencing lipid metabolism in and functional status of the brain. We studied the effects of a calorie-restricted diet (CRD) on the content of some phospholipids in the hippocampus and neocortex of rats and also on cognitive functions in these animals. Under our experimental conditions, rats were fed on a CRD during 2 months. This resulted in greater contents of phosphatidylcholine in the hippocampus and of sphingomyelin in the neocortex, while the level of phosphatidylethanolamine in the studied cerebral structures was lower, as compared with the corresponding indices in control animals. Increases in the amounts of cholinecontaining phospholipids in the brain under the action of CRD correlated with significant improvement of the conditioned reflex activity (formation of the reflex of active avoidance in a shuttle chamber).