QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, October 10, 2007, 27(41):11075-11082; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3542-07.2007

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (21) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zheng, H. Articles by Berthoud, H.-R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zheng, H. Articles by Berthoud, H.-R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Orexin Signaling in the Ventral Tegmental Area Is Required for High-Fat Appetite Induced by Opioid Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens

Huiyuan Zheng, Laurel M. Patterson, and Hans-Rudolf Berthoud

Neurobiology of Nutrition Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808

Correspondence should be addressed to Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. Email: berthohr{at}pbrc.edu

The overriding of satiety and homeostatic control mechanisms by cognitive, rewarding, and emotional aspects of palatable foods may contribute to the evolving obesity crisis, but little is known about neural pathways and mechanisms responsible for crosstalk between the "cognitive" and "metabolic" brain in the control of appetite. Here we show that neural connections between the nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus might be part of this link. Using the well known model of selective stimulation of high-fat intake induced by intra-accumbens injection of the µ-opioid receptor agonist D-Ala2-N-Me-Phe⁴-gly⁵-ol-enkephalin (DAMGO), we demonstrate that orexin signaling in the ventral tegmental area is important for this reward-driven appetite to override metabolic repletion signals in presatiated rats. We further show that accumbens DAMGO in the absence of food selectively increases the proportion of orexin neurons expressing c-Fos in parts of the perifornical hypothalamus and that neural projections originating in DAMGO-responsive sites of the nucleus accumbens make close anatomical contacts with hypothalamic orexin neurons. These findings suggest that direct accumbens–hypothalamic projections can stimulate hypothalamic orexin neurons, which in turn through orexin-1 receptor signaling in the ventral tegmental area and possibly other sites interfaces with the motivational and motor systems to increase intake of palatable food.

Key words: food intake; palatable food; high-fat diet; limbic system; nucleus accumbens; orexin-1 receptor

---

Received Feb. 13, 2006; revised Aug. 25, 2007; accepted Aug. 25, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. Email: berthohr{at}pbrc.edu

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. F. Schwindinger, B. M. Borrell, L. C. Waldman, and J. D. Robishaw Mice lacking the G protein {gamma}3-subunit show resistance to opioids and diet induced obesity Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, November 1, 2009; 297(5): R1494 - R1502. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Le Merrer, J. A. J. Becker, K. Befort, and B. L. Kieffer Reward Processing by the Opioid System in the Brain Physiol Rev, October 1, 2009; 89(4): 1379 - 1412. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. L. Borgland, S.-J. Chang, M. S. Bowers, J. L. Thompson, N. Vittoz, S. B. Floresco, J. Chou, B. T. Chen, and A. Bonci Orexin A/Hypocretin-1 Selectively Promotes Motivation for Positive Reinforcers J. Neurosci., September 9, 2009; 29(36): 11215 - 11225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-P. Baird, A. Choe, J. L. Loveland, J. Beck, C. E. Mahoney, J. S. Lord, and L. A. Grigg Orexin-A Hyperphagia: Hindbrain Participation in Consummatory Feeding Responses Endocrinology, March 1, 2009; 150(3): 1202 - 1216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Lutter and E. J. Nestler Homeostatic and Hedonic Signals Interact in the Regulation of Food Intake J. Nutr., March 1, 2009; 139(3): 629 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. P. Figlewicz and S. C. Benoit Insulin, leptin, and food reward: update 2008 Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, January 1, 2009; 296(1): R9 - R19. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Adamantidis and L. de Lecea The hypocretins as sensors for metabolism and arousal J. Physiol., January 1, 2009; 587(1): 33 - 40. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help