The effect of ketogenic diets on neurogenesis and apoptosis in the dentate gyrus of the male rat hippocampus

Ketogenic diets (KD) have become popular diet to lose weight. However, the effect of such diets on brain function has not yet been clarified. Thus, we aimed to study the effects of KD on the neurogenesis and apoptosis in the dentate gyrus by assessing the expression of Ki-67 and Caspase-3. Rats (n = 24) were divided into four groups: control (normal diet), ketogenic diet (KD), time-restricted diet (TRD), and the combination of high-fat and time-restricted diet (CD) groups. The expression of Ki-67 in the TRD and CD groups was higher compared to others (P < 0.05), whereas no such difference was observed in the KD group. The number of Capase-3-positive cells decreased significantly in the TRD group (P < 0.05), but such decrease was not observed in the CD group. These results indicate that, although KD could be effective in reducing the body weight, possible adverse effect in the brain cannot be ignored.