Hippocampal Input to the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Enhances Food Palatability
Angela K Yang1, Jesse A Mendoza2, Christopher K Lafferty2
1Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Biological Psychiatry
|November 9, 2019
Summary
The ventral hippocampus pathway to the nucleus accumbens shell enhances food palatability. This pathway
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Neurobiology
Background:
- Understanding the neural mechanisms of reward processing is crucial for addressing conditions like anhedonia.
- The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) is implicated in hedonic processing, but specific circuit contributions remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of specific NAcSh circuit components in modulating food palatability.
- To identify afferent pathways to the NAcSh that influence hedonic taste reactivity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized bidirectional optogenetics in mice during free feeding assays.
- Measured food palatability using licks per bout, correlating with sucrose concentration and flavor preference.
Main Results:
- NAcSh neuron photoinhibition did not alter the hedonic impact of food.
- Ventral hippocampal (vHipp) input to NAcSh enhanced palatability via low-frequency stimulation, independent of opioid signaling.
- vHipp input stimulation conditioned flavor preference, while its inhibition impaired conditioning.
Conclusions:
- Ventral hippocampal pathway activity to the NAcSh plays a novel role in enhancing food palatability.
- This finding has implications for understanding anhedonia, depression, and the broader role of the hippocampus in appetite and weight regulation.
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