The analysis of relationships between the changes in taste preference and immune function

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12325
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Inui Chizuko (山本千珠子) 大阪大学, 歯学研究科, 助教 (00419459)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YOSHIOKA Yoshichika 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 特任教授 (00174897)
• Research Collaborator: SUGIHARA Fuminori 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 特任助教 (50381645) ; MORI Yuki 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 特任助教 (10559355) ; CHIN Tei 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 大学院生
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 味覚嫌悪学習 / 免疫機能 / 味覚嗜好性 / リポポリサッカリド / マンガン造影MRI法 / 扁桃体 / 視床下部 / 嫌悪性行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Some reports show that rodents can acquire aversion to the taste stimulus paired with LPS, which induces inflammatory reaction. However, the brain mechanisms in the conditioned taste aversion (CTA) with immune reactions remain obscure. Therefore, to elucidate the brain mechanism in the retrieval of CTA with LPS, we tried to detect the brain activities using a manganese-enhanced MRI. C57BL/6 male mice were conditioned by i.p. injection of saline, LiCl, or LPS, after drinking saccharin solution. On the test day, all mice were given saccharin solution and scanned by 11.7 T MRI. Our results showed that the signal intensity of the amygdala in the LPS- and LiCl-groups were higher than that in the Saline-group. The signal intensity of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) only in the LPS-group was higher. The DMH has a role of the body temperature control. Therefore, there is a possibility that the DMH might have an important role in the relationship between taste preference and immune system.

Free Research Field

機能形態学、行動免疫学、脳神経科学、食生活学