Rapid binge-like eating and body weight gain driven by zona incerta GABA neuron activation

The neuronal substrate for binge eating, which can at times lead to obesity, is not clear. We find that optogenetic stimulation of mouse zona incerta (ZI) γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons or their axonal projections to paraventricular thalamus (PVT) excitatory neurons immediately (in 2 to 3 second...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2017-05, Vol.356 (6340), p.853-859
Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaobing, van den Pol, Anthony N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ablation
Animals
Axons
Axons - metabolism
Body weight
Body weight gain
Brain
Bulimia
Bulimia - physiopathology
Deprivation
Diet, High-Fat
Dietary restrictions
Eating
Eating - physiology
Eating behavior
Eating disorders
Eating Habits
Feeding
Feeding behavior
Feeding Behavior - physiology
Food
Food Deprivation
Food intake
Food Preferences - physiology
Foods
GABAergic Neurons - physiology
Gain
Ghrelin
Ghrelin - metabolism
Glutamic Acid - metabolism
Hunger
Hunger - physiology
Mice
Neurons
Nuclei
Obesity
Optogenetics
Philosophy
Post-Synaptic Density - metabolism
Presynaptic Terminals - metabolism
Projection
Rodents
Stimulation
Thalamus
Thalamus - cytology
Thalamus - physiology
Weight Gain - physiology
Weight reduction
Zona incerta
Zona Incerta - cytology
Zona Incerta - physiology
γ-Aminobutyric acid
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Summary:The neuronal substrate for binge eating, which can at times lead to obesity, is not clear. We find that optogenetic stimulation of mouse zona incerta (ZI) γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons or their axonal projections to paraventricular thalamus (PVT) excitatory neurons immediately (in 2 to 3 seconds) evoked binge-like eating. Minimal intermittent stimulation led to body weight gain; ZI GABA neuron ablation reduced weight. ZI stimulation generated 35% of normal 24-hour food intake in just 10 minutes. The ZI cells were excited by food deprivation and the gut hunger signal ghrelin. In contrast, stimulation of excitatory axons from the parasubthalamic nucleus to PVT or direct stimulation of PVT glutamate neurons reduced food intake. These data suggest an unexpected robust orexigenic potential for the ZI GABA neurons.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aam7100