Date:
May 25, 2017
Source:
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Summary:
Researchers have identified a subgroup of neurons in the
mouse brain that, upon activation, immediately prompt binge-like eating.
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This is a GIF depicting how a
subgroup of neurons in the zona incerta influence binge-eating behavior in
mice.
Credit: Carla Schaffer / AAAS
Researchers have identified a
subgroup of neurons in the mouse brain that, upon activation, immediately
prompt binge-like eating. Furthermore, repeated stimulation of these neurons
over time caused the mice to gain weight. The zona incerta (ZI) is a relatively
understudied part of the brain.
Intriguingly, patients receiving
deep brain stimulation of the subthalamus, which includes the ZI, for the
treatment of movement disorders can exhibit characteristics of binge eating. To
explore this phenomenon in greater detail, Xiaobing Zhang and Anthony N. van
den Pol optogenetically labelled GABA neurons in the ZIs of mice.
They found that stimulating ZI GABA
neurons with axons extending into the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) prompted
immediate binge-like eating, just two to three seconds after stimulation.
Within ten minutes of continuous ZI GABA stimulation, mice rapidly consumed 35%
of their daily high-fat food store, meant to be eaten over a 24-hour period.
The researchers also found that
ghrelin, a hormone that signals a reduced energy state in the gut, excited ZI
GABA neurons. Upon stimulating the subgroup of ZI neurons for five minutes
every three hours over a period of two weeks, the mice significantly increased
their food intake, and gained weight.
Yet, once photostimulation was over,
the mice showed a significantly reduced food intake compared with that of
controls.
Lastly, the authors found that
stimulation of excitatory axons from the parasubthalamic nucleus to PVT or
direct stimulation of glutamate neurons in the PVT reduced food intake.
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Materials provided by American Association for the Advancement of Science. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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