The central regulatory mechanism for stress induced food selection

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591374
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Endocrinology
• Research Institution: National Institute for Physiological Sciences
• Principal Investigator: OKAMOTO SHIKI 生理学研究所, 発達生理学研究系, 助教 (40342919)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: CRH / AMPK

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH) is implicated in the selection of high carbohydrate diet (HCD) and high fat diet (HFD). I clarified that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in corticotropin releasing hormone, CRH neurons of PVH are critical for food selection whether HCD or HFD. CRH is well-known as stress responsible hormone. Social defeat stress also induced carbohydrate selection rather than fat intake.　Inhibition of CRH expression using shRNA technique could completely disappear this preference change. Also the CRH neuron-specific inhibition of AMPK mRNA expression or neuronal activity, using DREADD system, significantly abolished stress induced food preference change. These results reveal a novel role of AMPK in CRH neurons of PVH in food selection behaviour under stress conditions.

Free Research Field

神経生理学