Alterations in the tryptophan metabolism induced by obesity as potential risk factors of memory and learning deficits in adulthood

Thesis title: “Alterations in the tryptophan metabolism induced by obesity as potential risk factors of memory and learning deficits in adulthood”

The objective of my thesis project is to prove that the chronic inflammatory state derived by obesity can induce alterations in the central tryptophan metabolism, causing the development of cognitive impairment in adulthood. To prove this hypothesis, I work with a Wistar rat model fed with a hypercaloric diet.

Moreover, I analyze the effect of maternal and paternal obesity on the memory and learning capacity of offspring in adulthood. Particularly, I try to identify epigenetic markers such as microRNAs that could be transmitted parentally and intervene in the learning processes of the offspring.