Regulation of food intake by the hypothalamus-reward system-cerebral limbic system

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591326
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Metabolomics
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University (2013-2014); Kyoto University (2012)
• Principal Investigator: KATSUURA Goro 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 特任講師 (20401226)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMADA Nobuko 慶応大学, 医学部, 助教 (50400891)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MANABE Toshiya 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 教授 (70251212) ; AKAIKE Akinori 京都大学, 大学院・薬学研究科, 教授 (80135558)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 過食 / 肥満 / 報酬系 / 視床下部 / オピエート

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Food intake is considered to be controlled by the mesolimbic dopamine system(the reward system) as well as the hypothalamus. In this study, we observed the effects of high-fat diet on the food intake regulating factors in the hypothalamus and reward regulating factors in the nucleus accumbence in mice fed on control diet and high-fat diet follwing fasting and refeeding.Moreover, the effects of opiate receptor antagonists on refeeding in both groups of mice were examined. The expressions of the food intake regulating factors and the reward regulating factors in the mice fed on high-fat diet were siginicantly different from those in the mice fed on control diet. Moreover, the responses to opiate receptor antagonist in refeeding of the mice fed on high-fat diet were markedly different from those in the mice fed on control diet. These results indicate that feeding of high-fat diet may influence the mesolimbic dopamin system (the reward system) as well as the hypothalamus.

Free Research Field

神経薬理