Mechanisms of anorectic hormone-induced gustatory regulation in the cerebral cortex

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25293379
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional basic dentistry
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: KOBAYASHI Masayuki 日本大学, 歯学部, 准教授 (00300830)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): CUI Yelong 理化学研究所, ライフサイエンス技術基盤研究センター, ユニットリーダー (60312229) ; INUI Tadashi 大阪大学, 大学院人間科学研究科, 助教 (40324735)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MIZOGUCHI Naoko 明海大学, 歯学部, 助教 (00548919) ; YAMAMOTO Kiyofumi 日本大学, 歯学部, 助教 (30609764)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 島皮質 / 味覚 / レプチン / 局所回路

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Leptin plays a pivotal role in regulation of energy balance by controlling appetite and metabolism. The insular cortex (IC) processes gustatory and visceral information, which functionally correlate to feeding behavior. However, it is still an open issue how leptin modulates synaptic transmission in the IC and other cortical areas. We recorded excitatory propagation by an optical imaging technique using in vivo preparations. Leptin effectively suppressed the amplitude and area of excitatory propagation in the IC. Paired whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from pyramidal and fast-spiking cells were performed using rat IC slice preparations to explore the mechanisms of leptin-induced suppression of excitatory propagation. Leptin reciprocally modulated uEPSCs and uIPSCs via presynaptic mechanisms, and as a whole, leptin suppresses neural excitability in the IC. Leptin-induced suppression of excitation may contribute the refinement of cortico-cortical information processing of gustation.

Free Research Field

神経生理学