1
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Greiner EM, Witt ME, Moran SJ, Petrovich GD. Activation patterns in male and female forebrain circuitries during food consumption under novelty. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:403-429. [PMID: 38193917 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02742-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The influence of novelty on feeding behavior is significant and can override both homeostatic and hedonic drives due to the uncertainty of potential danger. Previous work found that novel food hypophagia is enhanced in a novel environment and that males habituate faster than females. The current study's aim was to identify the neural substrates of separate effects of food and context novelty. Adult male and female rats were tested for consumption of a novel or familiar food in either a familiar or in a novel context. Test-induced Fos expression was measured in the amygdalar, thalamic, striatal, and prefrontal cortex regions that are important for appetitive responding, contextual processing, and reward motivation. Food and context novelty induced strikingly different activation patterns. Novel context induced Fos robustly in almost every region analyzed, including the central (CEA) and basolateral complex nuclei of the amygdala, the thalamic paraventricular (PVT) and reuniens nuclei, the nucleus accumbens (ACB), the medial prefrontal cortex prelimbic and infralimbic areas, and the dorsal agranular insular cortex (AI). Novel food induced Fos in a few select regions: the CEA, anterior basomedial nucleus of the amygdala, anterior PVT, and posterior AI. There were also sex differences in activation patterns. The capsular and lateral CEA had greater activation for male groups and the anterior PVT, ACB ventral core and shell had greater activation for female groups. These activation patterns and correlations between regions, suggest that distinct functional circuitries control feeding behavior when food is novel and when eating occurs in a novel environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Greiner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Mary E Witt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Stephanie J Moran
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Gorica D Petrovich
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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2
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Giacomini JL, Sadeghian K, Baldo BA. Eating driven by the gustatory insula: contrasting regulation by infralimbic vs. prelimbic cortices. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1358-1366. [PMID: 35091673 PMCID: PMC9117285 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01276-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Subregions within insular cortex and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been implicated in eating disorders; however, the way these brain regions interact to produce dysfunctional eating is poorly understood. The present study explored how two mPFC subregions, the infralimbic (IL) and prelimbic (PRL) cortices, regulate sucrose hyperphagia elicited specifically by a neurochemical manipulation of the agranular/dysgranular region of gustatory insula (AI/DI). Using intra-AI/DI infusion of the mu-opioid receptor (µ-OR) agonist, DAMGO (1 µg), sucrose hyperphagia was generated in ad-libitum-maintained rats, while in the same rat, either the IL or prelimbic (PRL) subregion of mPFC was inactivated bilaterally with muscimol (30 ng). Intra-IL muscimol markedly potentiated AI/DI DAMGO-induced sucrose hyperphagia by increasing eating bout duration and food consumption per bout. In contrast, PRL attenuated intra-AI/DI DAMGO-driven sucrose intake and feeding duration and eliminated the small DAMGO-induced increase in feeding bout initiation. Intra-IL or -PRL muscimol alone (i.e., without intra-AI/DI DAMGO) did not alter feeding behavior, but slightly reduced exploratory-like rearing in both mPFC subregions. These results reveal anatomical heterogeneity in mPFC regulation of the intense feeding-motivational state engendered by µ-OR signaling in the gustatory insula: IL significantly curtails consummatory activity, while PRL modestly contributes to feeding initiation. Results are discussed with regard to potential circuit-based mechanisms that may underlie the observed results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana L. Giacomini
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Physiology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Ken Sadeghian
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Brian A. Baldo
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA ,grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
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3
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The role of the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum in feeding and obesity. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110394. [PMID: 34242717 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is a growing global epidemic that stems from the increasing availability of highly-palatable foods and the consequent enhanced calorie consumption. Extensive research has shown that brain regions that are central to reward seeking modulate feeding and evidence linking obesity to pathology in such regions have recently started to accumulate. In this review we focus on the contribution of two major interconnected structures central to reward processing, the nucleus accumbens and the ventral pallidum, to obesity. We first review the known literature linking these structures to feeding behavior, then discuss recent advances connecting pathology in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum to obesity, and finally examine the similarities and differences between drug addiction and obesity in the context of these two structures. The understanding of how pathology in brain regions involved in reward seeking and consumption may drive obesity and how mechanistically similar obesity and addiction are, is only now starting to be revealed. We hope that future research will advance knowledge in the field and open new avenues to studying and treating obesity.
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4
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Greenberg D, St. Peter JV. Sugars and Sweet Taste: Addictive or Rewarding? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18189791. [PMID: 34574716 PMCID: PMC8468293 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The notion of food "addiction" often focuses on the overconsumption of sweet tasting foods or so-called sugar "addiction". In the extreme, some have suggested that sugar and sweet tastes elicit neural and behavioral responses analogous to those observed with drugs of abuse. These concepts are complicated by the decades long uncertainty surrounding the validity and reproducibility of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methodologies used to characterize neurobiological pathways related to sugar and sweet taste stimuli. There are also questions of whether sweet taste or post-ingestion metabolic consequences of sugar intake would lead to addiction or excessive caloric intake. Here, we present a focused narrative review of literature related to the reward value of sweet taste which suggests that reward value can be confounded with the construct of "addictive potential". Our review seeks to clarify some key distinctions between these constructs and questions the applicability of the addiction construct to human over-eating behaviors. To adequately frame this broad discussion requires the flexibility offered by the narrative review paradigm. We present selected literature on: techniques used to link sugar and sweet tastes to addiction neurobiology and behaviors; sugar and sweet taste "addiction"; the relationship of low calorie sweetener (LCS) intake to addictive behaviors and total calorie intake. Finally, we examined the reward value of sweet tastes and contrasted that with the literature describing addiction. The lack of reproducibility of fMRI data remains problematic for attributing a common neurobiological pathway activation of drugs and foods as conclusive evidence for sugar or sweet taste "addiction". Moreover, the complicated hedonics of sweet taste and reward value are suggested by validated population-level data which demonstrate that the consumption of sweet taste in the absence of calories does not increase total caloric intake. We believe the neurobiologies of reward value and addiction to be distinct and disagree with application of the addiction model to sweet food overconsumption. Most hypotheses of sugar "addiction" attribute the hedonics of sweet foods as the equivalent of "addiction". Further, when addictive behaviors and biology are critically examined in totality, they contrast dramatically from those associated with the desire for sweet taste. Finally, the evidence is strong that responses to the palatability of sweets rather than their metabolic consequences are the salient features for reward value. Thus, given the complexity of the controls of food intake in humans, we question the usefulness of the "addiction" model in dissecting the causes and effects of sweet food over-consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Greenberg
- NutriSci Inc., Mt. Kisco, NY 10549, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(914)572-2972
| | - John V. St. Peter
- Deptartment of Experimental & Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
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5
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Tanaka M, Yamada S, Watanabe Y. The Role of Neuropeptide Y in the Nucleus Accumbens. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147287. [PMID: 34298907 PMCID: PMC8307209 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (NPY), an abundant peptide in the central nervous system, is expressed in neurons of various regions throughout the brain. The physiological and behavioral effects of NPY are mainly mediated through Y1, Y2, and Y5 receptor subtypes, which are expressed in regions regulating food intake, fear and anxiety, learning and memory, depression, and posttraumatic stress. In particular, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has one of the highest NPY concentrations in the brain. In this review, we summarize the role of NPY in the NAc. NPY is expressed principally in medium-sized aspiny neurons, and numerous NPY immunoreactive fibers are observed in the NAc. Alterations in NPY expression under certain conditions through intra-NAc injections of NPY or receptor agonists/antagonists revealed NPY to be involved in the characteristic functions of the NAc, such as alcohol intake and drug addiction. In addition, control of mesolimbic dopaminergic release via NPY receptors may take part in these functions. NPY in the NAc also participates in fat intake and emotional behavior. Accumbal NPY neurons and fibers may exert physiological and pathophysiological actions partly through neuroendocrine mechanisms and the autonomic nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Tanaka
- Department of Anatomy, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamikyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-75-251-5300
| | - Shunji Yamada
- Department of Anatomy, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamikyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan;
| | - Yoshihisa Watanabe
- Department of Basic Geriatrics, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamikyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan;
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6
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Engelke DS, Zhang XO, O'Malley JJ, Fernandez-Leon JA, Li S, Kirouac GJ, Beierlein M, Do-Monte FH. A hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that controls approach-avoidance conflict in rats. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2517. [PMID: 33947849 PMCID: PMC8097010 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22730-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival depends on a balance between seeking rewards and avoiding potential threats, but the neural circuits that regulate this motivational conflict remain largely unknown. Using an approach-food vs. avoid-predator threat conflict test in rats, we identified a subpopulation of neurons in the anterior portion of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (aPVT) which express corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and are preferentially recruited during conflict. Inactivation of aPVTCRF neurons during conflict biases animal's response toward food, whereas activation of these cells recapitulates the food-seeking suppression observed during conflict. aPVTCRF neurons project densely to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and activity in this pathway reduces food seeking and increases avoidance. In addition, we identified the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) as a critical input to aPVTCRF neurons, and demonstrated that VMH-aPVT neurons mediate defensive behaviors exclusively during conflict. Together, our findings describe a hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that suppresses reward-seeking behavior under the competing demands of avoiding threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Engelke
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - X O Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J J O'Malley
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J A Fernandez-Leon
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S Li
- Department of Oral Biol., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - G J Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biol., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - M Beierlein
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - F H Do-Monte
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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7
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Morales I, Berridge KC. 'Liking' and 'wanting' in eating and food reward: Brain mechanisms and clinical implications. Physiol Behav 2020; 227:113152. [PMID: 32846152 PMCID: PMC7655589 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
It is becoming clearer how neurobiological mechanisms generate 'liking' and 'wanting' components of food reward. Mesocorticolimbic mechanisms that enhance 'liking' include brain hedonic hotspots, which are specialized subregions that are uniquely able to causally amplify the hedonic impact of palatable tastes. Hedonic hotspots are found in nucleus accumbens medial shell, ventral pallidum, orbitofrontal cortex, insula cortex, and brainstem. In turn, a much larger mesocorticolimbic circuitry generates 'wanting' or incentive motivation to obtain and consume food rewards. Hedonic and motivational circuitry interact together and with hypothalamic homeostatic circuitry, allowing relevant physiological hunger and satiety states to modulate 'liking' and 'wanting' for food rewards. In some conditions such as drug addiction, 'wanting' is known to dramatically detach from 'liking' for the same reward, and this may also occur in over-eating disorders. Via incentive sensitization, 'wanting' selectively becomes higher, especially when triggered by reward cues when encountered in vulnerable states of stress, etc. Emerging evidence suggests that some cases of obesity and binge eating disorders may reflect an incentive-sensitization brain signature of cue hyper-reactivity, causing excessive 'wanting' to eat. Future findings on the neurobiological bases of 'liking' and 'wanting' can continue to improve understanding of both normal food reward and causes of clinical eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana Morales
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1043, United States.
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1043, United States
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8
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Abstract
How do brain systems evaluate the affective valence of a stimulus - that is, its quality of being good or bad? One possibility is that a neural subsystem, or 'module' (such as a subregion of the brain, a projection pathway, a neuronal population or an individual neuron), is permanently dedicated to mediate only one affective function, or at least only one specific valence - an idea that is termed here the 'affective modules' hypothesis. An alternative possibility is that a given neural module can exist in multiple neurobiological states that give it different affective functions - an idea termed here the 'affective modes' hypothesis. This suggests that the affective function or valence mediated by a neural module need not remain permanently stable but rather can change dynamically across different situations. An evaluation of evidence for the 'affective modules' versus 'affective modes' hypotheses may be useful for advancing understanding of the affective organization of limbic circuitry.
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9
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Sinclair EB, Klump KL, Sisk CL. Reduced Medial Prefrontal Control of Palatable Food Consumption Is Associated With Binge Eating Proneness in Female Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:252. [PMID: 31736726 PMCID: PMC6834655 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Binge eating is the core, maladaptive eating behavior that cuts across several major types of eating disorders. Binge eating is associated with a significant loss of control over palatable food (PF) intake, and deficits in behavioral control mechanisms, subserved by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), may underlie binge eating. Few studies, to date, have examined whether the PFC is directly involved in the expression of binge eating. As such, the present study investigated the functional role of the medial PFC (mPFC) in PF consumption, using an individual differences rat model of binge eating proneness. Here, we tested the hypothesis that binge eating proneness (i.e., high levels of PF consumption) is associated with reduced mPFC-mediated behavioral control over PF intake. In experiment 1, we quantified PF-induced Fos expression in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons within the mPFC in binge eating prone (BEP) and binge eating resistant (BER) female rats. In experiment 2, we pharmacologically inactivated the mPFC of BEP and BER female rats, just prior to PF exposure, and subsequently quantified PF intake and scores of feeding behavior. While most Fos-expressing neurons of the mPFC in both BEPs and BERs were of the excitatory phenotype, fewer excitatory neurons were engaged by PF in BEPs than in BERs. Moreover, pharmacological inactivation of the mPFC led to a significant increase in PF intake in both BEPs and BERs, but the rise in PF consumption was stronger in BEPs than in BERs. Thus, these data suggest that lower, PF-induced excitatory tone in the mPFC of BEP rats may lead to a weaker, mPFC-mediated behavioral “brake” over excessive PF intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine B Sinclair
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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10
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Marvanova M. Perampanel-induced, new-onset food aversion in a 29-year-old female with medically refractory frontal lobe epilepsy. Ment Health Clin 2019; 9:100-104. [PMID: 30842918 PMCID: PMC6398359 DOI: 10.9740/mhc.2019.03.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perampanel is a selective, noncompetitive amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid glutamate receptor antagonist indicated for management of partial-onset and primary generalized seizures in epilepsy patients aged ≥12 years. PATIENT HISTORY A 29-year-old, white female with significant history of medically refractory frontal lobe epilepsy, status post right frontal and temporal resections, was initiated on perampanel as an add-on therapy to phenytoin extended-release (330 mg/d) and clonazepam (2.5 mg/d). She previously failed several antiepileptic drugs because of inefficacy and/or intolerance. Perampanel was initiated at 2 mg/d and the dose was increased by 2 mg/d increments every 2 to 3 weeks. Following the first dose, nausea and drowsiness were reported but resolved the following day. Three days after titration to 6 mg/d, the patient developed complete food aversion and became more irritable and anxious while no seizure frequency improvement was noted. No change of sense of taste was reported. After reduction to 4 mg/d, adverse effects improved but did not completely resolve until 2 months following perampanel discontinuation. REVIEW OF LITERATURE A PubMed search revealed no published literature or case reports of perampanel-induced food aversion or anorexia in a presence or absence of phenytoin and clonazepam. CONCLUSION In this report, a temporal relationship was observed between perampanel dose-increase and the development of food aversion. Return to baseline appetite and eating habits following perampanel discontinuation strongly suggest perampanel involvement. At this time, the exact mechanism(s) behind food aversion associated with perampanel is/are unknown.
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11
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Reed SJ, Lafferty CK, Mendoza JA, Yang AK, Davidson TJ, Grosenick L, Deisseroth K, Britt JP. Coordinated Reductions in Excitatory Input to the Nucleus Accumbens Underlie Food Consumption. Neuron 2018; 99:1260-1273.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.07.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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12
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Cortical high gamma network oscillations and connectivity: a translational index for antipsychotics to normalize aberrant neurophysiological activity. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:1285. [PMID: 29249806 PMCID: PMC5802558 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0002-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Oscillatory activity in the gamma frequency range is a critical mechanism, which integrates neural networks within and across brain structures during cognitive processes. In schizophrenia, abnormalities in high gamma oscillations are ubiquitous and most likely reflect dysfunction in neuronal networks. In conscious rats, disturbed network oscillations associated with positive symptoms and cognitive deficits were modeled in different cortical areas by the dopaminergic agonist (amphetamine) and the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists (PCP and MK801). Subsequently, the efficacies of marketed atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine, risperidone, and clozapine) to normalize dysfunctional oscillations and network connectivity were examined. Acute NMDA antagonists elicited aberrant synchrony in the gamma frequency oscillations. In addition, coherent slow alpha network activity was observed with MK801 and amphetamine, both of whose oscillatory rhythms were correlated with pronounced locomotor activity. All antipsychotics commonly decreased slow alpha and high gamma network oscillations in different cortical regions as well as motion behavior. In the combined treatments, antipsychotics attenuated NMDA antagonist-induced abnormalities in functional network oscillations and connectivity, whose effects on motor behavior is mechanistically related. These results suggest that pharmacologically induced disruption of cortical gamma oscillations and network connectivity in rats is a candidate model to study dysfunctional oscillatory patterns described in positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The efficacy of antipsychotics to rescue cortical network oscillatory patterns is in line with the idea that glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems play a role in maintaining the integrity of cortical circuits. Thus, gamma oscillations could provide a powerful translational index to assess the integrity of neural networks and to evaluate the efficacy of drugs with potential antipsychotic properties.
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13
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Baldo BA. Prefrontal Cortical Opioids and Dysregulated Motivation: A Network Hypothesis. Trends Neurosci 2017; 39:366-377. [PMID: 27233653 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Loss of inhibitory control over appetitively motivated behavior occurs in multiple psychiatric disorders, including drug abuse, behavioral addictions, and eating disorders with binge features. In this opinion article, novel actions of μ-opioid peptides in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) that could contribute to inhibitory control deficits will be discussed. Evidence has accrued to suggest that excessive intra-PFC μ-opioid receptor (μ-OR) signaling alters the PFC response to excitatory drive, resulting in supernormal and incoherent recruitment of multiple PFC output pathways. Affected pathways include functionally opposed PFC→hypothalamus 'appetitive driver' and PFC→striatum 'appetitive limiter' projections. This network perturbation engenders disorganized, impulsive appetitive responses. Evidence supporting this hypothesis from human imaging and animal studies will be discussed, and combinatorial drug treatments targeting μ-ORs and specific PFC subcortical targets will be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Baldo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 6001 Research Park Blvd, Madison, WI 53719, USA.
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14
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Millan EZ, Kim HA, Janak PH. Optogenetic activation of amygdala projections to nucleus accumbens can arrest conditioned and unconditioned alcohol consummatory behavior. Neuroscience 2017; 360:106-117. [PMID: 28757250 PMCID: PMC5752133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.07.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Following a Pavlovian pairing procedure, alcohol-paired cues come to elicit behavioral responses that lead to alcohol consumption. Here we used an optogenetic approach to activate basolateral amygdala (BLA) axonal terminals targeting the shell of nucleus accumbens (AcbSh) and investigated a possible influence over cue-conditioned alcohol seeking and alcohol drinking, based on the demonstrated roles of these areas in behavioral responding to Pavlovian cues and in feeding behavior. Rats were trained to anticipate alcohol or sucrose following the onset of a discrete conditioned stimulus (CS). Channelrhodopsin-mediated activation of the BLA-to-AcbSh pathway concurrent with each CS disrupted cued alcohol seeking. Activation of the same pathway caused rapid cessation of alcohol drinking from a sipper tube. Neither effect was accompanied by an overall change in locomotion. Finally, the suppressive effect of photoactivation on cued-triggered seeking was also evidenced in animals trained with sucrose. Together these findings suggest that photoactivation of BLA terminals in the AcbSh can override the conditioned motivational properties of reward-predictive cues as well as unconditioned consummatory responses necessary for alcohol drinking. The findings provide evidence for a limbic-striatal influence over motivated behavior for orally consumed rewards, including alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Zayra Millan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218, United States.
| | - H Amy Kim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218, United States
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218, United States; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21205, United States.
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15
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Do-Monte FH, Minier-Toribio A, Quiñones-Laracuente K, Medina-Colón EM, Quirk GJ. Thalamic Regulation of Sucrose Seeking during Unexpected Reward Omission. Neuron 2017; 94:388-400.e4. [PMID: 28426970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is thought to regulate behavioral responses under emotionally arousing conditions. Reward-associated cues activate PVT neurons; however, the specific PVT efferents regulating reward seeking remain elusive. Using a cued sucrose-seeking task, we manipulated PVT activity under two emotionally distinct conditions: (1) when reward was available during the cue as expected or (2) when reward was unexpectedly omitted during the cue. Pharmacological inactivation of the anterior PVT (aPVT), but not the posterior PVT, increased sucrose seeking only when reward was omitted. Consistent with this, photoactivation of aPVT neurons abolished sucrose seeking, and the firing of aPVT neurons differentiated reward availability. Photoinhibition of aPVT projections to the nucleus accumbens or to the amygdala increased or decreased, respectively, sucrose seeking only when reward was omitted. Our findings suggest that PVT bidirectionally modulates sucrose seeking under the negative (frustrative) conditions of reward omission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabricio H Do-Monte
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PO Box 365067, San Juan 00936, Puerto Rico.
| | - Angélica Minier-Toribio
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PO Box 365067, San Juan 00936, Puerto Rico
| | - Kelvin Quiñones-Laracuente
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PO Box 365067, San Juan 00936, Puerto Rico
| | - Estefanía M Medina-Colón
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PO Box 365067, San Juan 00936, Puerto Rico
| | - Gregory J Quirk
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PO Box 365067, San Juan 00936, Puerto Rico
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Prefrontal Cortex to Accumbens Projections in Sleep Regulation of Reward. J Neurosci 2017; 36:7897-910. [PMID: 27466335 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0347-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Sleep profoundly affects the emotional and motivational state. In humans and animals, loss of sleep often results in enhanced motivation for reward, which has direct implications for health risks as well as potential benefits. Current study aims at understanding the mechanisms underlying sleep deprivation (SDe)-induced enhancement of reward seeking. We found that after acute SDe, mice had an increase in sucrose seeking and consumption but not food intake, suggesting a selective enhancement of motivation for reward. In the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain region regulating emotional and motivational responses, we observed a decrease in the ratio of the overall excitatory over inhibitory synaptic inputs onto NAc principle neurons after SDe. The shift was partly mediated by reduced glutamatergic transmission of presynaptic origin. Further analysis revealed that there was selective reduction of the glutamate release probability at the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-to-NAc synapses, but not those from the hippocampus, thalamus, or the basal lateral amygdala. To reverse this SDe-induced synaptic alteration, we expressed the stabilized step function opsin (SSFO) in the mPFC; optogenetic stimulation of SSFO at mPFC-to-NAc projection terminals persistently enhanced the action potential-dependent glutamate release. Intra-NAc optogenetic stimulation of SSFO selectively at mPFC-to-NAc terminals restored normal sucrose seeking in mice after SDe without affecting food intake. These results highlight the mPFC-to-NAc projection as a key circuit-based target for sleep to regulate reward-motivated behaviors. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sleep loss, a costly challenge of modern society, has profound physiological and psychological consequences, including altered reward processing of the brain. The current study aims at understanding the mechanisms underlying sleep deprivation-induced enhancement of reward seeking. We identify that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-to-nucleus accumbens (NAc) glutamatergic transmission is selectively weakened following acute sleep deprivation, whose restoration normalizes reward seeking in sleep-deprived mice. These results suggest a possibility of normalizing sleep deprivation-induced abnormal reward seeking by targeting specific neural projections, and they demonstrate the mPFC-to-NAc glutamatergic projection as a key circuit-based target for sleep to regulate reward-motivated behaviors.
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Feeding-modulatory effects of mu-opioids in the medial prefrontal cortex: a review of recent findings and comparison to opioid actions in the nucleus accumbens. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1439-1449. [PMID: 28054099 PMCID: PMC5420483 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4522-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Whereas reward-modulatory opioid actions have been intensively studied in subcortical sites such as the nucleus accumbens (Acb), the role of cortical opioid transmission has received comparatively little attention. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study is to describe recent findings on the motivational actions of opioids in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), emphasizing studies of food motivation and ingestion. PFC-based opioid effects will be compared/contrasted to those elicited from the Acb, to glean possible common functional principles. Finally, the motivational effects of opioids will be placed within a network context involving the PFC, Acb, and hypothalamus. RESULTS Mu-opioid receptor (μ-OR) stimulation in both the Acb and PFC induces eating and enhances food-seeking instrumental behaviors; μ-OR signaling also enhances taste reactivity within a highly circumscribed zone of medial Acb shell. In both the Acb and PFC, opioid-sensitive zones are aligned topographically with the sectors that project to feeding-modulatory zones of the hypothalamus and intact glutamate transmission in the lateral/perifornical (LH-PeF) hypothalamic areas is required for both Acb- and PFC-driven feeding. Conversely, opioid-mediated feeding responses elicited from the PFC are negatively modulated by AMPA signaling in the Acb shell. CONCLUSIONS Opioid signaling in the PFC engages functionally opposed PFC➔hypothalamus and PFC➔Acb circuits, which, respectively, drive and limit non-homeostatic feeding, producing a disorganized and "fragmented" pattern of impulsive food-seeking behaviors and hyperactivity. In addition, opioids act directly in the Acb to facilitate food motivation and taste hedonics. Further study of this cortico-striato-hypothalamic circuit, and incorporation of additional opioid-responsive telencephalic structures, could yield insights with translational relevance for eating disorders and obesity.
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Caudal Nucleus Accumbens Core Is Critical in the Regulation of Cue-Elicited Approach-Avoidance Decisions. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0330-16. [PMID: 28275709 PMCID: PMC5309732 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0330-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is thought to be a site of integration of positively and negatively valenced information and action selection. Functional differentiation in valence processing has previously been found along the rostrocaudal axis of the shell region of the NAc in assessments of unconditioned motivation. Given that the core region of the NAc has been implicated in the elicitation of motivated behavior in response to conditioned cues, we sought to assess the role of caudal, intermediate, and rostral sites within this subregion in cue-elicited approach-avoidance decisions. Rats were trained to associate visuo-tactile cues with appetitive, aversive, and neutral outcomes. Following the successful acquisition of the cue-outcome associations, rats received microinfusions of GABAA and GABAB receptor agonists (muscimol/baclofen) or saline into the caudal, intermediate, or rostral NAc core and were then exposed to a superimposition of appetitively and aversively valenced cues versus neutral cues in a “conflict test,” as well as to the appetitive versus neutral cues, and aversive cues versus neutral cues, in separate conditioned preference/avoidance tests. Disruption of activity in the intermediate to caudal parts of the NAc core resulted in a robust avoidance bias in response to motivationally conflicting cues, as well as a potentiated avoidance of aversive cues as compared with control animals, coupled with an attenuated conditioned preference for the appetitive cue. These results suggest that the caudal NAc core may have the capacity to exert bidirectional control over appetitively and aversively motivated responses to valence signals.
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Gao S, Guo F, Sun X, Zhang N, Gong Y, Xu L. The Inhibitory Effects of Nesfatin-1 in Ventromedial Hypothalamus on Gastric Function and Its Regulation by Nucleus Accumbens. Front Physiol 2017; 7:634. [PMID: 28105016 PMCID: PMC5213809 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nesfatin-1 signaling in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) on gastric functions, as well as the regulation of these effects by nucleus accumbens (NAc) projections to VMH. Methods: The expression of c-fos in nesfatinergic VMH neurons induced by gastric distension (GD) was measured using the double fluoro-immunohistochemical staining. The firing rates of neurons were monitored with single-unit extracellular electric discharge recording. The projection of nesfatinergic neurons from NAc to VMH was observed by fluorogold retrograde tracer combined with fluoro-immunohistochemical staining. The effect of nesfatin-1 in VMH or electric stimulation in NAc on gastric function was studied by measuring food intake, gastric acid output, gastric motility, and gastric emptying, and the ability of the melanocortin-3/4 receptor antagonist SHU9119 or the anti-nesfatin-1 antibody to block nesfatin-1 in the VMH was assessed. Results: Expression of c-fos was observed in VMH nesfatinergic neurons following GD in rats. Further, nesfatin-1 delivery to single GD-responsive neurons changed the firing rates of these neurons in the VMH. In awake, behaving rats, intra-VMH administration of nesfatin-1 inhibited food intake, gastric acid output, gastric motility, and gastric emptying. These effects were abolished by SHU9119. Fluorogold retrograde tracing showed nesfatinergic neural projection from the NAc to the VMH. Electrical stimulation of NAc modified the firing rates of the VMH neurons and inhibited food intake and gastric functions. The pretreatment with an anti-nesfatin-1 antibody in the VMH reversed the effects of NAc electrical stimulation on the VMH neuronal firing rates and gastric function. Conclusions: Nesfatin-1 in the VMH inhibited food intake, gastric acid output, gastric motility, and gastric emptying. A nesfatinergic pathway between NAc and VMH transmitted metabolism-regulating signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengli Gao
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University Qingdao, China
| | - Feifei Guo
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University Qingdao, China
| | - Xiangrong Sun
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University Qingdao, China
| | - Nana Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Qingdao, China
| | - Yanling Gong
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology Qingdao, China
| | - Luo Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University Qingdao, China
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Bojanowska E, Ciosek J. Can We Selectively Reduce Appetite for Energy-Dense Foods? An Overview of Pharmacological Strategies for Modification of Food Preference Behavior. Curr Neuropharmacol 2016; 14:118-42. [PMID: 26549651 PMCID: PMC4825944 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x14666151109103147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 09/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive intake of food, especially palatable and energy-dense carbohydrates and fats, is
largely responsible for the growing incidence of obesity worldwide. Although there are a number of
candidate antiobesity drugs, only a few of them have been proven able to inhibit appetite for palatable
foods without the concurrent reduction in regular food consumption. In this review, we discuss the
interrelationships between homeostatic and hedonic food intake control mechanisms in promoting
overeating with palatable foods and assess the potential usefulness of systemically administered pharmaceuticals that
impinge on the endogenous cannabinoid, opioid, aminergic, cholinergic, and peptidergic systems in the modification of
food preference behavior. Also, certain dietary supplements with the potency to reduce specifically palatable food intake
are presented. Based on human and animal studies, we indicate the most promising therapies and agents that influence the
effectiveness of appetite-modifying drugs. It should be stressed, however, that most of the data included in our review
come from preclinical studies; therefore, further investigations aimed at confirming the effectiveness and safety of the
aforementioned medications in the treatment of obese humans are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Bojanowska
- Department of Behavioral Pathophysiology, Institute of General and Experimental Pathology, Medical University of Lodz, 60 Narutowicza Street, 90-136 Lodz, Poland.
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Tabe-Bordbar S, Anastasio TJ. Computational Analysis of the Hypothalamic Control of Food Intake. Front Comput Neurosci 2016; 10:27. [PMID: 27199725 PMCID: PMC4844610 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2016.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Food-intake control is mediated by a heterogeneous network of different neural subtypes, distributed over various hypothalamic nuclei and other brain structures, in which each subtype can release more than one neurotransmitter or neurohormone. The complexity of the interactions of these subtypes poses a challenge to understanding their specific contributions to food-intake control, and apparent consistencies in the dataset can be contradicted by new findings. For example, the growing consensus that arcuate nucleus neurons expressing Agouti-related peptide (AgRP neurons) promote feeding, while those expressing pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC neurons) suppress feeding, is contradicted by findings that low AgRP neuron activity and high POMC neuron activity can be associated with high levels of food intake. Similarly, the growing consensus that GABAergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus suppress feeding is contradicted by findings suggesting the opposite. Yet the complexity of the food-intake control network admits many different network behaviors. It is possible that anomalous associations between the responses of certain neural subtypes and feeding are actually consistent with known interactions, but their effect on feeding depends on the responses of the other neural subtypes in the network. We explored this possibility through computational analysis. We made a computer model of the interactions between the hypothalamic and other neural subtypes known to be involved in food-intake control, and optimized its parameters so that model behavior matched observed behavior over an extensive test battery. We then used specialized computational techniques to search the entire model state space, where each state represents a different configuration of the responses of the units (model neural subtypes) in the network. We found that the anomalous associations between the responses of certain hypothalamic neural subtypes and feeding are actually consistent with the known structure of the food-intake control network, and we could specify the ways in which the anomalous configurations differed from the expected ones. By analyzing the temporal relationships between different states we identified the conditions under which the anomalous associations can occur, and these stand as model predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayan Tabe-Bordbar
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Thomas J Anastasio
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA
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22
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Herisson FM, Waas JR, Fredriksson R, Schiöth HB, Levine AS, Olszewski PK. Oxytocin Acting in the Nucleus Accumbens Core Decreases Food Intake. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 27114001 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Central oxytocin (OT) promotes feeding termination in response to homeostatic challenges, such as excessive stomach distension, salt loading and toxicity. OT has also been proposed to affect feeding reward by decreasing the consumption of palatable carbohydrates and sweet tastants. Because the OT receptor (OTR) is expressed in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) and shell (AcbSh), a site regulating diverse aspects of eating behaviour, we investigated whether OT acts there to affect appetite in rats. First, we examined whether direct AcbC and AcbSh OT injections affect hunger- and palatability-driven consumption. We found that only AcbC OT infusions decrease deprivation-induced chow intake and reduce the consumption of palatable sucrose and saccharin solutions in nondeprived animals. These effects were abolished by pretreatment with an OTR antagonist, L-368,899, injected in the same site. AcbC OT at an anorexigenic dose did not induce a conditioned taste aversion, which indicates that AcbC OT-driven anorexia is not caused by sickness/malaise. The appetite-specific effect of AcbC OT is supported by the real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of OTR mRNA in the AcbC, which revealed that food deprivation elevates OTR mRNA expression, whereas saccharin solution intake decreases OTR transcript levels. We also used c-Fos immunohistochemistry as a marker of neuronal activation and found that AcbC OT injection increases activation of the AcbC itself, as well as of two feeding-related sites: the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. Finally, considering the fact that OT plays a significant role in social behaviour, we examined whether offering animals a meal in a social setting would modify their hypophagic response to AcbC OT injections. We found that a social context abolishes the anorexigenic effects of AcbC OT. We conclude that OT acting via the AcbC decreases food intake driven by hunger and reward in rats offered a meal in a nonsocial setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- F M Herisson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - J R Waas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - R Fredriksson
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - H B Schiöth
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - A S Levine
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - P K Olszewski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
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Naneix F, Darlot F, Coutureau E, Cador M. Long-lasting deficits in hedonic and nucleus accumbens reactivity to sweet rewards by sugar overconsumption during adolescence. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 43:671-80. [PMID: 26762310 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical period characterized by major neurobiological changes. Chronic stimulation of the reward system might constitute an important factor in vulnerability to pathological development. In spite of the dramatic increase in the consumption of sweet palatable foods during adolescence in our modern societies, the long-term consequences of such exposure on brain reward processing remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated in rats the long-lasting effects of sugar overconsumption during their adolescence on their adult reactivity to the hedonic properties of sweet rewards. Adolescent rats with continuous access to 5% sucrose solution (from postnatal day 30-46) showed escalating intake. At adulthood (post-natal day 70), using two-bottle free choice tests, sucrose-exposed rats showed lower intake than non-exposed rats suggesting decreased sensitivity to the rewarding properties of sucrose. In Experiment 1, we tested their hedonic-related orofacial reactions to intraoral infusion of tasty solutions. We showed that sucrose-exposed rats presented less hedonic reactions in response to sweet tastes leaving the reactivity to water or quinine unaltered. Hence, in Experiment 2, we observed that this hedonic deficit is associated with lower c-Fos expression levels in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region known to play a central role in hedonic processing. These findings demonstrate that a history of high sucrose intake during the critical period of adolescence induces long-lasting deficits in hedonic treatment that may contribute to reward-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Naneix
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,University of Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - Florence Darlot
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,University of Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - Etienne Coutureau
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,University of Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
| | - Martine Cador
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,University of Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33076, Bordeaux, France
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Wu HM, Ge SN, Dai HB, Wang L, Chang CW, Wang XL, Li N, Gao GD. Long-Term Changes in Drug Craving and Nutritional Status of Opioid Addicts with Nucleus Accumbens Ablative Stereotactic Neurosurgery at Five Years Postoperatively. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2016; 93:407-14. [DOI: 10.1159/000441392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Lardeux S, Kim JJ, Nicola SM. Intermittent-access binge consumption of sweet high-fat liquid does not require opioid or dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens. Behav Brain Res 2015; 292:194-208. [PMID: 26097003 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Binge eating disorders are characterized by episodes of intense consumption of high-calorie food. In recently developed animal models of binge eating, rats given intermittent access to such food escalate their consumption over time. Consumption of calorie-dense food is associated with neurochemical changes in the nucleus accumbens, including dopamine release and alterations in dopamine and opioid receptor expression. Therefore, we hypothesized that binge-like consumption on intermittent access schedules is dependent on opioid and/or dopamine neurotransmission in the accumbens. To test this hypothesis, we asked whether injection of dopamine and opioid receptor antagonists into the core and shell of the accumbens reduced consumption of a sweet high-fat liquid in rats with and without a history of intermittent binge access to the liquid. Although injection of a μ opioid agonist increased consumption, none of the antagonists (including μ opioid, δ opioid, κ opioid, D1 dopamine and D2 dopamine receptor antagonists, as well as the broad-spectrum opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone) reduced consumption, and this was the case whether or not the animals had a prior history of intermittent access. These results suggest that consumption of sweet, fatty food does not require opioid or dopamine receptor activation in the accumbens even under intermittent access conditions that resemble human binge episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Lardeux
- Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, United States
| | - James J Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, United States
| | - Saleem M Nicola
- Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, United States.
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Abstract
Exposure to drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, leads to plastic changes in the activity of brain circuits, and a prevailing view is that these changes play a part in drug addiction. Notably, there has been intense focus on drug-induced changes in synaptic excitability and much less attention on intrinsic excitability factors (that is, excitability factors that are remote from the synapse). Accumulating evidence now suggests that intrinsic factors such as K+ channels are not only altered by cocaine but may also contribute to the shaping of the addiction phenotype.
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van den Heuvel JK, Furman K, Gumbs MC, Eggels L, Opland DM, Land BB, Kolk SM, Narayanan N, Fliers E, Kalsbeek A, DiLeone RJ, la Fleur SE. Neuropeptide Y activity in the nucleus accumbens modulates feeding behavior and neuronal activity. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:633-41. [PMID: 25109664 PMCID: PMC4295932 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that plays a prominent role in feeding and energy homeostasis. Expression of the NPY Y1 receptor (Y1R) is highly concentrated in the nucleus accumbens (Acb), a region important in the regulation of palatable feeding. In this study, we performed a number of experiments to investigate the actions of NPY in the Acb. METHODS First, we determined caloric intake and food choice after bilateral administration of NPY in the Acb in rats on a free-choice diet of saturated fat, 30% sucrose solution, and standard chow and whether this was mediated by the Y1R. Second, we measured the effect of intra-Acb NPY on neuronal activity using in vivo electrophysiology. Third, we examined co-localization of Y1R with enkephalin and dynorphin neurons and the effect of NPY on preproenkephalin messenger RNA levels in the striatum using fluorescent and radioactive in situ hybridization. Finally, using retrograde tracing, we examined whether NPY neurons in the arcuate nucleus projected to the Acb. RESULTS In rats on the free-choice, high-fat, high-sugar diet, intra-Acb NPY increased intake of fat, but not sugar or chow, and this was mediated by the Y1R. Intra-Acb NPY reduced neuronal firing, as well as preproenkephalin messenger RNA expression in the striatum. Moreover, Acb enkephalin neurons expressed Y1R and arcuate nucleus NPY neurons projected to the Acb. CONCLUSIONS NPY reduces neuronal firing in the Acb resulting in increased palatable food intake. Together, our neuroanatomical, pharmacologic, and neuronal activity data support a role and mechanism for intra-Acb NPY-induced fat intake.
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Urstadt KR, Stanley BG. Direct hypothalamic and indirect trans-pallidal, trans-thalamic, or trans-septal control of accumbens signaling and their roles in food intake. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 9:8. [PMID: 25741246 PMCID: PMC4327307 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2015.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Due in part to the increasing incidence of obesity in developed nations, recent research aims to elucidate neural circuits that motivate humans to overeat. Earlier research has described how the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) motivates organisms to feed by activating neuronal populations in the lateral hypothalamus (LH). However, more recent research suggests that the LH may in turn communicate with the AcbSh, both directly and indirectly, to re-tune the motivation to consume foods with homeostatic and food-related sensory signals. Here, we discuss the functional and anatomical evidence for an LH to AcbSh connection and its role in eating behaviors. The LH appears to modulate Acb activity directly, using neurotransmitters such as hypocretin/orexin or melanin concentrating hormone (MCH). The LH also indirectly regulates AcbSh activity through certain subcortical "relay" regions, such as the lateral septum (LS), ventral pallidum (VP), and paraventricular thalamus, using a variety of neurotransmitters. This review aims to summarize studies on these topics and outline a model by which LH circuits processing energy balance can modulate AcbSh neural activity to regulate feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Urstadt
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - B Glenn Stanley
- Departments of Psychology and Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA, USA
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McFadden KL, Cornier MA, Tregellas JR. The role of alpha-7 nicotinic receptors in food intake behaviors. Front Psychol 2014; 5:553. [PMID: 24936193 PMCID: PMC4047526 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine alters appetite and energy expenditure, leading to changes in body weight. While the exact mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully established, both central and peripheral involvement of the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) has been suggested. Centrally, the α7nAChR modulates activity of hypothalamic neurons involved in food intake regulation, including proopiomelanocortin and neuropeptide Y. α7nAChRs also modulate glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems controlling reward processes that affect food intake. Additionally, α7nAChRs are important peripheral mediators of chronic inflammation, a key contributor to health problems in obesity. This review focuses on nicotinic cholinergic effects on eating behaviors, specifically those involving the α7nAChR, with the hypothesis that α7nAChR agonism leads to appetite suppression. Recent studies are highlighted that identify links between α7nAChR expression and obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes and describe early findings showing an α7nAChR agonist to be associated with reduced weight gain in a mouse model of diabetes. Given these effects, the α7nAChR may be a useful therapeutic target for strategies to treat and manage obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina L McFadden
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Marc-Andre Cornier
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jason R Tregellas
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora, CO, USA ; Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Denver, CO, USA
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30
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Stimulation of dopamine D4 receptors in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of male rats induces hyperphagia: Involvement of glutamate. Physiol Behav 2014; 133:272-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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31
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Mena JD, Selleck RA, Baldo BA. Mu-opioid stimulation in rat prefrontal cortex engages hypothalamic orexin/hypocretin-containing neurons, and reveals dissociable roles of nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus in cortically driven feeding. J Neurosci 2013; 33:18540-52. [PMID: 24259576 PMCID: PMC3834058 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3323-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2012] [Revised: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mu-opioid receptor (μOR) stimulation within ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) induces feeding and hyperactivity, resulting possibly from recruitment of glutamate signaling in multiple vmPFC projection targets. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing Fos expression in vmPFC terminal fields after intra-vmPFC μOR stimulation, and by examining of the impact of glutamate receptor blockade in two feeding-related targets of vmPFC, the lateral-perifornical hypothalamic area (LH-PeF) and nucleus accumbens shell (Acb shell), upon behavioral effects elicited by intra-vmPFC μOR stimulation in rats. Intra-vmPFC infusion of the μOR agonist, DAMGO, provoked Fos expression in the dorsomedial sector of tuberal hypothalamus (including the perifornical area) and increased the percentage of Fos-expressing hypocretin/orexin-immunoreactive neurons in these zones. NMDA receptor blockade in the LH-PeF nearly eliminated intra-vmPFC DAMGO-induced food intake without altering DAMGO-induced hyperactivity. In contrast, blocking AMPA-type glutamate receptors within the Acb shell (the feeding-relevant subtype in this structure) antagonized intra-vmPFC DAMGO-induced hyperlocomotion but enhanced food intake. Intra-vmPFC DAMGO also elevated the breakpoint for sucrose-reinforced progressive-ratio responding; this effect was significantly enhanced by concomitant AMPA blockade in the Acb shell. Conversely, intra-Acb shell AMPA stimulation reduced breakpoint and increased nonspecific responding on the inactive lever. These data indicate intra-vmPFC μOR signaling jointly modulates appetitive motivation and generalized motoric activation through functionally dissociable vmPFC projection targets. These findings may shed light on the circuitry underlying disorganized appetitive responses in psychopathology; e.g., binge eating and opiate or alcohol abuse, disorders in which μORs and aberrant cortical activation have been implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus D. Mena
- Neuroscience Training Program and
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53719
| | - Ryan A. Selleck
- Neuroscience Training Program and
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53719
| | - Brian A. Baldo
- Neuroscience Training Program and
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53719
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32
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Richard JM, Castro DC, Difeliceantonio AG, Robinson MJF, Berridge KC. Mapping brain circuits of reward and motivation: in the footsteps of Ann Kelley. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:1919-31. [PMID: 23261404 PMCID: PMC3706488 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Revised: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ann Kelley was a scientific pioneer in reward neuroscience. Her many notable discoveries included demonstrations of accumbens/striatal circuitry roles in eating behavior and in food reward, explorations of limbic interactions with hypothalamic regulatory circuits, and additional interactions of motivation circuits with learning functions. Ann Kelley's accomplishments inspired other researchers to follow in her footsteps, including our own laboratory group. Here we describe results from several lines of our research that sprang in part from earlier findings by Kelley and colleagues. We describe hedonic hotspots for generating intense pleasure 'liking', separate identities of 'wanting' versus 'liking' systems, a novel role for dorsal neostriatum in generating motivation to eat, a limbic keyboard mechanism in nucleus accumbens for generating intense desire versus intense dread, and dynamic limbic transformations of learned memories into motivation. We describe how origins for each of these themes can be traced to fundamental contributions by Ann Kelley.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn M Richard
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA.
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33
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Urstadt KR, Coop SH, Banuelos BD, Stanley BG. Behaviorally specific versus non-specific suppression of accumbens shell-mediated feeding by ipsilateral versus bilateral inhibition of the lateral hypothalamus. Behav Brain Res 2013; 257:230-41. [PMID: 24100119 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.09.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Revised: 09/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) and lateral hypothalamus (LH) are linked in the control of food intake. Pharmacological inhibition of the LH may block AcbSh-elicited feeding, but the behavioral phenotype associated with this feeding suppression is unknown. To examine this phenotype, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with three cannulas - one unilaterally in the AcbSh and two bilaterally in the LH - to allow for central drug injections. The AcbSh received injections of the AMPA receptor antagonist DNQX or the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol, while the LH received injections of the NMDA receptor antagonist D-AP5 or muscimol. Eating, drinking, grooming, locomotion, quiescence, and sleeping behaviors were measured every minute for 60 min post-injection. From these observational data, feeding bout durations, feeding frequency, and latency to feed were determined. AcbSh muscimol or DNQX increased food intake by increasing feeding bout durations and frequency and decreasing latency to feed. D-AP5 or muscimol, injected into the LH bilaterally or ipsilateral to the AcbSh injection, reversed these AcbSh-mediated effects. Though bilateral LH D-AP5 or muscimol injections blocked feeding responses, they also hastened onset of sleep. In contrast, ipsilateral LH D-AP5 or muscimol injections suppressed AcbSh-mediated feeding behaviors without substantially altering sleeping or other behaviors. These results suggest bilateral LH inhibition via NMDA receptor blockade or GABAA receptor activation produces behavioral effects that might indirectly suppress feeding, but ipsilateral LH inhibition through these receptors suppresses AcbSh AMPA and GABAA receptor-mediated feeding specifically. This evidence strengthens the concept of a feeding-specific association between these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Urstadt
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Sweetened-fat intake sensitizes gamma-aminobutyric acid-mediated feeding responses elicited from the nucleus accumbens shell. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 73:843-50. [PMID: 23312563 PMCID: PMC3885159 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Revised: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is much interest in exploring whether reward-driven feeding can produce druglike plasticity in the brain. The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) shell, which modulates hypothalamic feeding systems, is well placed to "usurp" homeostatic control of feeding. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether feeding-induced neuroadaptations occur in this system. METHODS Separate groups of ad libitum-maintained rats were exposed to daily bouts of sweetened-fat intake, predator stress, or intra-Acb shell infusions of either d-amphetamine (2 or 10 μg) or the μ-opioid agonist D-[Ala2, N-MePhe4, Gly-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO, 2.5 μg), then challenged with intra-Acb shell infusion of the GABAA agonist, muscimol (10 ng). RESULTS Exposure to sweetened fat robustly sensitized muscimol-induced feeding. Sensitization was present 1 week after cessation of the palatable feeding regimen but had abated by 2 weeks. Rats exposed to sweetened fat did not show an altered feeding response to food deprivation. Repeated intra-Acb shell infusions of DAMGO (2.5 μg) also sensitized intra-Acb shell muscimol-driven feeding. However, neither repeated intra-Acb shell d-amphetamine infusions (2 or 10 μg) nor intermittent exposure to an aversive stimulus (predator stress) altered sensitivity to muscimol. CONCLUSIONS Palatable feeding engenders hypersensitivity of Acb shell GABA responses; this effect may involve feeding-induced release of opioid peptides. Heightened arousal, aversive experiences, or increased catecholamine transmission alone are insufficient to produce the effect, and a hunger-induced feeding drive is insufficient to reveal the effect. These findings reveal a novel type of food-induced neuroadaptation within the Acb; possible implications for understanding crossover effects between food reward and drug reward are discussed.
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35
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Abstract
Neural processes that direct an animal's actions toward environmental goals are critical elements for understanding behavior. The hypothalamus is closely associated with motivated behaviors required for survival and reproduction. Intense feeding, drinking, aggressive, and sexual behaviors can be produced by a simple neuronal stimulus applied to discrete hypothalamic regions. What can these "evoked behaviors" teach us about the neural processes that determine behavioral intent and intensity? Small populations of neurons sufficient to evoke a complex motivated behavior may be used as entry points to identify circuits that energize and direct behavior to specific goals. Here, I review recent applications of molecular genetic, optogenetic, and pharmacogenetic approaches that overcome previous limitations for analyzing anatomically complex hypothalamic circuits and their interactions with the rest of the brain. These new tools have the potential to bridge the gaps between neurobiological and psychological thinking about the mechanisms of complex motivated behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Sternson
- Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
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36
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R.K. B, E.L. U, R.L.W. C. 2-Hydroxyestradiol enhances binge onset in female rats and reduces prefrontal cortical dopamine in male rats. Horm Behav 2013; 63:88-96. [PMID: 23116652 PMCID: PMC3586335 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2012] [Revised: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Women are more likely to suffer from a bingeing-related eating disorder, which is surprising, since estradiol reduces meal size and is associated with reduced binge frequency. This apparent contradiction may involve the estradiol metabolite, 2-hydroxyestradiol. We previously reported that female rats had faster escalations in shortening intake during the development of bingeing than did males, but acute administration of 2-hydroxyestradiol increased the intake of vegetable shortening to a greater extent in male rats once bingeing was established. Here, we report two separate studies that follow up these previous findings. In the first, we hypothesized that chronic exposure to 2-hydroxyestradiol would promote escalation of bingeing during binge development in ovariectomized female rats. In the second, we hypothesized that acute exposure to 2-hydroxyestradiol would enhance dopamine signaling in the prefrontal cortex after bingeing was established in male rats. In study 1, non-food-deprived female rats were separated into 3 groups: ovariectomized (OVX) with chronic 2-hydroxyestradiol supplementation (E), OVX with vehicle supplementation (O), and intact with vehicle (I). Each group was given access to an optional source of dietary fat (shortening) on Mon, Wed, and Fri for 4 weeks. 2-hydroxyestradiol supplementation prevented OVX-induced weight gain and enhanced escalation of shortening intake over the four-week period (ps<0.05). Additionally, in week 4, rats in the E group ate significantly more shortening than I controls, less chow than either the O or I group, and had a higher shortening to chow ratio than O or I (ps<0.05). Study 2 indicated that acute injection of 2-hydroxyestradiol abolished shortening-evoked dopamine efflux in the prefrontal cortex of bingeing male rats (p<0.05). Together, these studies indicate that 2-hydroxyestradiol can exacerbate bingeing as it develops and can suppress dopamine signaling in the prefrontal cortex once bingeing is established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babbs R.K.
- Pennsylvania State University, IGDP Physiology, 110 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Unger E.L.
- Pennsylvania State University, Nutritional Sciences, 110 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Corwin R.L.W.
- Pennsylvania State University, Nutritional Sciences, 110 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802
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37
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Jean A, Laurent L, Bockaert J, Charnay Y, Dusticier N, Nieoullon A, Barrot M, Neve R, Compan V. The nucleus accumbens 5-HTR₄-CART pathway ties anorexia to hyperactivity. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e203. [PMID: 23233022 PMCID: PMC3565192 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mental diseases, the brain does not systematically adjust motor activity to feeding. Probably, the most outlined example is the association between hyperactivity and anorexia in Anorexia nervosa. The neural underpinnings of this 'paradox', however, are poorly elucidated. Although anorexia and hyperactivity prevail over self-preservation, both symptoms rarely exist independently, suggesting commonalities in neural pathways, most likely in the reward system. We previously discovered an addictive molecular facet of anorexia, involving production, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), of the same transcripts stimulated in response to cocaine and amphetamine (CART) upon stimulation of the 5-HT(4) receptors (5-HTR(4)) or MDMA (ecstasy). Here, we tested whether this pathway predisposes not only to anorexia but also to hyperactivity. Following food restriction, mice are expected to overeat. However, selecting hyperactive and addiction-related animal models, we observed that mice lacking 5-HTR(1B) self-imposed food restriction after deprivation and still displayed anorexia and hyperactivity after ecstasy. Decryption of the mechanisms showed a gain-of-function of 5-HTR(4) in the absence of 5-HTR(1B), associated with CART surplus in the NAc and not in other brain areas. NAc-5-HTR(4) overexpression upregulated NAc-CART, provoked anorexia and hyperactivity. NAc-5-HTR(4) knockdown or blockade reduced ecstasy-induced hyperactivity. Finally, NAc-CART knockdown suppressed hyperactivity upon stimulation of the NAc-5-HTR(4). Additionally, inactivating NAc-5-HTR(4) suppressed ecstasy's preference, strengthening the rewarding facet of anorexia. In conclusion, the NAc-5-HTR(4)/CART pathway establishes a 'tight-junction' between anorexia and hyperactivity, suggesting the existence of a primary functional unit susceptible to limit overeating associated with resting following homeostasis rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jean
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,INSERM, U661, Montpellier, France,Universités de Montpellier 1 and 2, UMR-5203, Montpellier, France,Université de Nîmes, Nîmes, France
| | - L Laurent
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,INSERM, U661, Montpellier, France,Universités de Montpellier 1 and 2, UMR-5203, Montpellier, France
| | - J Bockaert
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,INSERM, U661, Montpellier, France,Universités de Montpellier 1 and 2, UMR-5203, Montpellier, France
| | - Y Charnay
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Division de Neuropsychiatrie, Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland
| | - N Dusticier
- Université d'Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - A Nieoullon
- Université d'Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - M Barrot
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France
| | - R Neve
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - V Compan
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,INSERM, U661, Montpellier, France,Universités de Montpellier 1 and 2, UMR-5203, Montpellier, France,Université de Nîmes, Nîmes, France,Neurobiology, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, 141, rue de la Cardonille, Montpellier 34094, France. E-mail:
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38
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Stratford TR, Wirtshafter D. Lateral hypothalamic involvement in feeding elicited from the ventral pallidum. Eur J Neurosci 2012. [PMID: 23190138 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Intense feeding can be elicited by injections of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline into the medial ventral pallidum (VPm), a basal forebrain structure anatomically interposed between two other feeding-related brain regions, the nucleus accumbens shell and the lateral hypothalamus (LH). To determine whether the VPm effects changes in feeding behavior through actions on the LH, we examined feeding following unilateral injections of bicuculline into the VPm made either ipsilateral or contralateral to a unilateral excitotoxic lesion of the LH in nondeprived rats. We found that lesions of the LH significantly attenuated feeding induced from the ipsilateral VPm, as compared to sham-operated controls. In striking contrast, unilateral LH lesions significantly potentiated the feeding response elicited by injections of bicuculline into the contralateral VPm. The 'ipsilateral-contralateral disruption' design we used makes it extremely unlikely that our findings could have resulted from nonspecific effects of the lesions. These results suggest that the LH is causally involved in mediating the ingestive effects produced by activation of the VPm, and provide an important insight into the functional circuitry by which basal forebrain structures control food intake in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Stratford
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Psychology (m/c 285), University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Urstadt KR, Kally P, Zaidi SF, Stanley BG. Ipsilateral feeding-specific circuits between the nucleus accumbens shell and the lateral hypothalamus: regulation by glutamate and GABA receptor subtypes. Neuropharmacology 2012; 67:176-82. [PMID: 23164617 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2012] [Revised: 10/03/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) and the lateral hypothalamus (LH) are both involved in the control of food intake. Activation of GABA(A) receptors or blockade of AMPA and kainate receptors within the AcbSh induces feeding, as does blockade of GABA(A) receptors or activation of NMDA receptors in the LH. Further, evidence suggests that feeding induced via the AcbSh can be suppressed by LH inhibition. However, it is unclear if this suppression is specific to feeding. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with 3 intracranial guide cannulas, one unilaterally into the AcbSh and two bilaterally into the LH, were used to explore this issue. DNQX (1.25 μg) or muscimol (100 ng) infused into the AcbSh unilaterally elicited feeding, and this elicited intake was suppressed by bilateral LH injection of d-AP5 (2 μg) or muscimol (25 ng). The effectiveness of d-AP5 or muscimol infusion into either the LH site ipsilateral or contralateral to the AcbSh injection was compared. Ipsilateral LH injection of d-AP5 or muscimol was significantly more effective than contralateral injection in suppressing food intake initiated by AcbSh injection of DNQX or muscimol. These results add to the prior evidence that inhibition of the LH through pharmacological modulation of NMDA or GABA(A) receptors specifically suppresses feeding initiated by AcbSh inhibition, and that these two regions communicate via an ipsilateral circuit to specifically regulate feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Urstadt
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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40
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Stratford TR, Wirtshafter D. Injections of muscimol into the paraventricular thalamic nucleus, but not mediodorsal thalamic nuclei, induce feeding in rats. Brain Res 2012; 1490:128-33. [PMID: 23111346 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Revised: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) is a component of the midline thalamic group that is interconnected with several brain regions known to play important roles in the control of food intake, including the lateral hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens shell, suggesting that the PVT itself may be involved in mediating feeding behavior. In the current study, we examined whether inhibition of cells in the PVT with the GABA(A) agonist muscimol could alter food intake in non-deprived rats. To control for possible spread of the drug, we also observed food intake after injections of muscimol into the overlying ventricle or laterally adjacent mediodorsal thalamic nuclei (MD). We found that muscimol injections into the central PVT dose-dependently increased food intake. In contrast, intra-MD injections of muscimol resulted in a potent dose-dependent suppression of food intake, while those into the overlying ventricle had no effect. These results support the proposal that the PVT is a component of the neural circuitry controlling feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Stratford
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607-7137, USA.
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41
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Wirtshafter D, Covelo IR, Salija I, Stratford TR. Effects of muscimol in the nucleus accumbens shell on salt appetite and sucrose intake: a microstructural study with a comment on the sensitization of salt intake. Behav Neurosci 2012; 126:699-709. [PMID: 22889311 PMCID: PMC3507417 DOI: 10.1037/a0029641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated that injections of the γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) agonist muscimol into the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) induce pronounced increases in the intake of solid foods and sucrose solutions, but do not potentiate water intake. In order to clarify the range of situations in which inactivation of the AcbSh potentiates ingestive behavior, we examined the effects of muscimol injections on the intake of a 3% NaCl solution in sodium-depleted animals. Although sodium-depleted subjects avidly consumed this solution, muscimol injections had no effect either on the volume consumed or on a variety of microstructural licking parameters. In contrast, in these same animals, muscimol injections significantly increased licking of a 10% sucrose solution. These results suggest that inactivation of the AcbSh may selectively increase the intake of foods, but not that of other homeostatically relevant ingestates. Examination of microstructural parameters suggested that the effect of muscimol on sucrose intake was not mediated by alterations in the "palatability" of the sucrose solution. We also observed that sodium-depleted subjects displayed significantly larger salt intakes after their second experience with sodium depletion than their first, and microstructural analysis in this case indicated that this sensitization effect was produced in a manner consistent with the animals showing increased "hedonic responsiveness" to the salt solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wirtshafter
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607-7137, USA.
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42
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Covelo IR, Wirtshafter D, Stratford TR. GABA(A) and dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell differentially influence performance of a water-reinforced progressive ratio task. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 101:57-61. [PMID: 22155440 PMCID: PMC3306843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Revised: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 11/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Several authors have shown that injections of the GABA(A) agonist muscimol into the medial shell region of the nucleus accumbens (AcbSh) result in large increases in food, but not water, intake. In previous studies we demonstrated that intra-AcbSh injections of either muscimol or of the indirect dopamine agonist amphetamine increase response output on a food-reinforced progressive ratio schedule. In the current experiment we extended these observations by examining the effects of muscimol and amphetamine injections on the performance of a water-reinforced progressive ratio task in mildly deprived animals. We found that muscimol did not affect the number of responses made in the water-reinforced task, even though a marked increase in responding was observed after amphetamine. Muscimol did, however, significantly increase food intake in the same animals. The results suggest that the enhancing effects of intra-AcbSh muscimol differ from those of amphetamine in that they are selective for food-reinforced behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio R. Covelo
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St., M/C 285, Chicago, IL 60607-7137
| | - David Wirtshafter
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St., M/C 285, Chicago, IL 60607-7137
| | - Thomas R. Stratford
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison St., M/C 285, Chicago, IL 60607-7137
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43
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Effects of muscimol, amphetamine, and DAMGO injected into the nucleus accumbens shell on food-reinforced lever pressing by undeprived rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 101:499-503. [PMID: 22366216 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Revised: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 02/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that large increases in food intake in nondeprived animals can be induced by injections of both the GABA(A) agonist muscimol and the μ-opioid agonist DAMGO into the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), while injections of the catecholamine agonist amphetamine have little effect. In the current study we examined whether injections of these drugs are able to increase food-reinforced lever pressing in nondeprived rats. Twelve subjects were trained to lever press on a continuous reinforcement schedule while food deprived and were then tested after being placed back on ad libitum feeding. Under these conditions, responding was markedly increased by injections of either muscimol or DAMGO, although the onset of the effects of the latter drug was delayed by 30-40 min. In contrast, amphetamine injections failed to increase reinforced lever pressing, although they did enhance responding on a non-reinforced lever, presumably reflecting alterations in behavioral activation. These results demonstrate that stimulation of GABA(A) and μ-opioid receptors within the AcbSh is able to promote not only food intake, but also food-directed operant behavior. In contrast, stimulation of AcbSh dopamine receptors may enhance behavioral arousal, but does not appear to specifically potentiate behaviors directed toward food procurement.
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Barson JR, Morganstern I, Leibowitz SF. Neurobiology of consummatory behavior: mechanisms underlying overeating and drug use. ILAR J 2012; 53:35-58. [PMID: 23520598 PMCID: PMC3954603 DOI: 10.1093/ilar.53.1.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Consummatory behavior is driven by both caloric and emotional need, and a wide variety of animal models have been useful in research on the systems that drive consumption of food and drugs. Models have included selective breeding for a specific trait, manipulation of gene expression, forced or voluntary exposure to a substance, and identification of biomarkers that predict which animals are prone to overconsuming specific substances. This research has elucidated numerous brain areas and neurochemicals that drive consummatory behavior. Although energy homeostasis is primarily mediated by the hypothalamus, reinforcement is more strongly mediated by nuclei outside the hypothalamus, in mesocorticolimbic regions. Orexigenic neurochemicals that control food intake can provide a general signal for promoting caloric intake or a more specific signal for stimulating consumption of a particular macronutrient, fat, carbohydrate, or protein. The neurochemicals involved in controlling fat ingestion--galanin, enkephalin, orexin, melanin-concentrating hormone, and the endocannabinoids--show positive feedback with this macronutrient, as these peptides both increase fat intake and are further stimulated by its intake. This positive association offers some explanation for why foods high in fat are so often overconsumed. Consumption of ethanol, a drug of abuse that also contains calories, is similarly driven by the neurochemical systems involved in fat intake, according to evidence that closely relates fat and ethanol consumption. Further understanding of the systems involved in consummatory behavior will enable the development of effective therapies for the treatment of both overeating and drug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Barson
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
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Puhl MD, Cason AM, Wojnicki FHE, Corwin RL, Grigson PS. A history of bingeing on fat enhances cocaine seeking and taking. Behav Neurosci 2011; 125:930-42. [PMID: 21988520 PMCID: PMC3226865 DOI: 10.1037/a0025759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Binge eating and substance dependence are disorders characterized by a loss of control over consummatory behaviors. Given the common characteristics of these two types of disorders, it is not surprising that the comorbidity between eating disorders and substance abuse disorders is high (20-40%; Conason et al., 2006). It is unknown, however, whether loss of control in one disorder predisposes an individual to loss of control in the other. The present study, therefore, used a rodent model to test whether a history of binge eating would augment subsequent responding for cocaine. Using the limited access protocol described by Corwin et al. (1998), 45 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on one of four dietary protocols for a period of six weeks: chow only (Chow; n = 9), continuous access to an optional source of dietary fat (Ad Lib; n = 12), 1-h access to an optional source of dietary fat daily (Daily; n = 12), or 1-h access to an optional source of dietary fat on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (MWF; n = 12). All four groups also had unrestricted access to a nutritionally complete diet of chow and water. Fat-bingeing behaviors developed in the MWF rats, the group with the most restricted access to the optional fat. Thereafter, cocaine-seeking and -taking behaviors were assessed in all rats using a self-administration protocol modified from that described by Deroche-Gamonet et al. (2004), which focused on the motivation for and preoccupation with obtaining and consuming drug (assessed using a progressive ratio [PR] schedule of reinforcement) and persistence in responding for drug during periods of signaled drug non-availability (SNA). Rats with the MWF history tended to take more cocaine late in fixed ratio (FR) training, they persisted in their efforts to obtain cocaine in the face of signaled non-availability, worked harder for cocaine on a PR schedule of reinforcement, and exhibited more goal-directed behavior toward the cocaine-associated operandum. These results demonstrate a link between binge-type intake of fat and the development of drug-seeking and -taking behaviors, suggesting that a history of fat bingeing may predispose individuals to exhibit more robust "addiction-like" behaviors toward a substance of abuse. Thus, it appears that conditions promoting excessive behavior toward one substance (e.g., a palatable fatty food) beget excessive behavior toward another (e.g., cocaine).
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Puhl
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
| | - Angie M. Cason
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
| | | | - Rebecca L. Corwin
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University
| | - Patricia S. Grigson
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
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Stratford TR, Wirtshafter D. Evidence that the nucleus accumbens shell, ventral pallidum, and lateral hypothalamus are components of a lateralized feeding circuit. Behav Brain Res 2011; 226:548-54. [PMID: 22019344 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2011] [Revised: 10/06/2011] [Accepted: 10/10/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Pronounced feeding can be elicited by injections of the GABA(A) agonist muscimol into the medial shell region of the nucleus accumbens (AcbSh). This region of AcbSh has been shown to project to both the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and the medial ventral pallidum (VPm). The current study examined the effects of unilateral LH or VPm lesions on the ingestive responses induced by injections of muscimol into the AcbSh on either the same or the opposite side of the brain. We found that lesions of either of these structures drastically attenuated feeding induced from the ipsilateral, as compared to the contralateral, AcbSh. The "ipsilateral/contralateral disruption design" employed here virtually rules out the possibility that the suppressive effects of the lesions were nonspecific and suggests that the VPm and LH play essential roles in mediating the ingestive effects of inactivation of the AcbSh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Stratford
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Psychology (m/c 285), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607-7137, United States.
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Enhanced control of attention by stimulating mesolimbic-corticopetal cholinergic circuitry. J Neurosci 2011; 31:9760-71. [PMID: 21715641 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1902-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustaining and recovering attentional performance requires interactions between the brain's motivation and attention systems. The first experiment demonstrated that in rats performing a sustained attention task (SAT), presentation of a distractor (dSAT) augmented performance-associated increases in cholinergic neurotransmission in prefrontal cortex. Because stimulation of NMDA receptors in the shell of the nucleus accumbens activates PFC cholinergic neurotransmission, a second experiment demonstrated that bilateral infusions of NMDA into the NAc shell, but not core, improved dSAT performance to levels observed in the absence of a distractor. A third experiment demonstrated that removal of prefrontal or posterior parietal cholinergic inputs, by intracortical infusions of the cholinotoxin 192 IgG-saporin, attenuated the beneficial effects of NMDA on dSAT performance. Mesolimbic activation of cholinergic projections to the cortex benefits the cognitive control of attentional performance by enhancing the detection of cues and the filtering of distractors.
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Drago A, Crisafulli C, Sidoti A, Serretti A. The molecular interaction between the glutamatergic, noradrenergic, dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems informs a detailed genetic perspective on depressive phenotypes. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 94:418-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2010] [Revised: 05/28/2011] [Accepted: 05/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Mul JD, la Fleur SE, Toonen PW, Afrasiab-Middelman A, Binnekade R, Schetters D, Verheij MMM, Sears RM, Homberg JR, Schoffelmeer ANM, Adan RAH, DiLeone RJ, De Vries TJ, Cuppen E. Chronic loss of melanin-concentrating hormone affects motivational aspects of feeding in the rat. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19600. [PMID: 21573180 PMCID: PMC3088702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2010] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Current epidemic obesity levels apply great medical and financial pressure to the strenuous economy of obesity-prone cultures, and neuropeptides involved in body weight regulation are regarded as attractive targets for a possible treatment of obesity in humans. The lateral hypothalamus and the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) form a hypothalamic-limbic neuropeptide feeding circuit mediated by Melanin-Concentrating Hormone (MCH). MCH promotes feeding behavior via MCH receptor-1 (MCH1R) in the AcbSh, although this relationship has not been fully characterized. Given the AcbSh mediates reinforcing properties of food, we hypothesized that MCH modulates motivational aspects of feeding. Here we show that chronic loss of the rat MCH-precursor Pmch decreased food intake predominantly via a reduction in meal size during rat development and reduced high-fat food-reinforced operant responding in adult rats. Moreover, acute AcbSh administration of Neuropeptide-GE and Neuropeptide-EI (NEI), both additional neuropeptides derived from Pmch, or chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of NEI, did not affect feeding behavior in adult pmch+/+ or pmch−/− rats. However, acute administration of MCH to the AcbSh of adult pmch−/− rats elevated feeding behavior towards wild type levels. Finally, adult pmch−/− rats showed increased ex vivo electrically evoked dopamine release and increased limbic dopamine transporter levels, indicating that chronic loss of Pmch in the rat affects the limbic dopamine system. Our findings support the MCH-MCH1R system as an amplifier of consummatory behavior, confirming this system as a possible target for the treatment of obesity. We propose that MCH-mediated signaling in the AcbSh positively mediates motivational aspects of feeding behavior. Thereby it provides a crucial signal by which hypothalamic neural circuits control energy balance and guide limbic brain areas to enhance motivational or incentive-related aspects of food consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joram D. Mul
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne E. la Fleur
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pim W. Toonen
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anthonieke Afrasiab-Middelman
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Binnekade
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dustin Schetters
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michel M. M. Verheij
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert M. Sears
- Department of Psychiatry, Ribicoff Research Facilities, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anton N. M. Schoffelmeer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roger A. H. Adan
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ralph J. DiLeone
- Department of Psychiatry, Ribicoff Research Facilities, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Taco J. De Vries
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin Cuppen
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Stanley BG, Urstadt KR, Charles JR, Kee T. Glutamate and GABA in lateral hypothalamic mechanisms controlling food intake. Physiol Behav 2011; 104:40-6. [PMID: 21550353 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2011] [Revised: 04/22/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
By the 1990s a convergence of evidence had accumulated to suggest that neurons within the lateral hypothalamus (LH) play important roles in the stimulation of feeding behavior. However, there was little direct evidence demonstrating that neurotransmitters in the LH could, like electrical stimulation, elicit feeding in satiated animals. The present paper is a brief review in honor of Bartley Hoebel's scientific contributions, emphasizing the evidence from my lab that the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the LH mediate feeding stimulation and feeding inhibition respectively. Specifically, we summarize evidence that LH injection of glutamate, or agonists of its N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors, elicits feeding in satiated rats, that NMDA receptor antagonists block the eating elicited by NMDA and, more importantly, that NMDA blockade suppresses natural feeding and can reduce body weight. Conversely, GABA(A) agonists injected into the LH suppress feeding and can also reduce body weight, while GABA(A) receptor antagonists actually elicit eating when injected into the LH of satiated rats. It is suggested that natural feeding may reflect the moment-to-moment balance in the activity of glutamate and GABA within the LH.
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Affiliation(s)
- B G Stanley
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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