A region of the brain called the amygdala is accountable for powerful emotions like fear. Now, researchers have found the amygdala may be accountable for overeating. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor Bo Li has discovered a gaggle of neurons within the amygdala that drives mice to eat fatty or sugary foods-;even when they don’t seem to be hungry. Therapeutics targeting these neurons could lead on to latest treatments for obesity with minimal unintended effects.
Like most individuals, mice also are inclined to find foods high in fat and sugar the tastiest. They might take pleasure in these treats for pleasure, moderately than for survival. The neurons Li and his colleagues studied trigger this behavior, called hedonic eating. Li notes:
“Even when the animal is speculated to stop eating because they’re already full, if those neurons are still energetic, it may possibly still drive those animals to eat more.”
Almost nobody succeeds in long-term weight management when treating obesity, Li says. Metabolic processes within the body often reverse any progress that is made. Therapeutics will help increase the chances of successful treatment, but many drugs have unwanted unintended effects.
The medications currently available to assist weight management could cause significant unintended effects. So, a more targeted approach is required. Identifying the brain circuitry that controls eating is vital for developing higher treatment options for individuals who struggle to manage their weight.”
Bo Li, CSHL Professor
When the team switched off the precise neurons, mice weren’t drawn to the fatty, sugary foods that had tempted them before. “They simply happily ate and stayed healthy,” Li says. “They not only stopped gaining weight, but in addition appeared to be much healthier overall.” Switching these neurons off reduced overeating and guarded against obesity. It also boosted the animals’ physical activity, resulting in weight reduction and higher metabolic health.
Li and his team are exploring ways to control the neurons that trigger hedonic eating. The following step, he says, is to map out how these neurons reply to several types of food and see what makes them so sensitive. He hopes this collaboration will result in latest strategies for effective anti-obesity therapeutics.
For this study, Li and CSHL Associate Professor Stephen Shea combined their neuroscience expertise with CSHL Professor Tobias Janowitz’s expertise in metabolism and endocrinology. Additionally they collaborated with CSHL Assistant Professor Semir Beyaz, an authority in gut and nutrition research. It’s a part of an ongoing, multidisciplinary initiative at CSHL to research the connections between the brain and the body.
Source:
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Journal reference:
Furlan, A., et al. (2022) Neurotensin neurons within the prolonged amygdala control dietary selection and energy homeostasis. Nature Neuroscience. doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01178-3.