The study of development of oxytocinergic neutral circuit responding to energy status in childhood

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09395
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Metabolomics
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Maejima Yuko 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40438669)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SHIMOMURA KENJU 福島県立医科大学, 医学部・病態制御薬理医学講座, 教授 (90636226)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 成長 / 過食 / 幼若期 / 報酬系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The energy intake (EI) per body weight (BW) (EI/BW) in juvenile rats is known to be significantly higher than that of adult rats. The aim of this study is to clarify the mechanisms of hyperphagia in juvenile rat by comparing with that of adult rats.
This study reveled that juvenile rat may take energy up to the maximum level, regardless of the contents of meal. In other words, reward neural systems may be activated excessively in juvenile rats, compared with adult rats. In addition, we found that the low level of GABA expression in reward neural system in juvenile rats. We considered that GABA neurons in reward neural circuit contribute to hyperphagia, which is required for growth in childhood.

Free Research Field

神経内分泌学