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Related Concept Videos

Regulation of Food Intake01:30

Regulation of Food Intake

Short-term regulation of food intake primarily involves neural signals from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, blood nutrient levels, and GI tract hormones. Communication between the gut and brain via vagal nerve fibers plays a significant role in evaluating the contents of the gut. Clinical studies have shown that protein ingestion produces a more prolonged response in these nerve fibers compared to an equivalent amount of glucose. Additionally, the activation of stretch receptors caused by GI...
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
Neural Regulation of Blood Pressure01:18

Neural Regulation of Blood Pressure

The neural regulation of blood pressure involves intricate interactions between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cardiovascular system, ensuring adequate perfusion of tissues. This regulation primarily occurs through baroreceptor and chemoreceptor reflexes, involving both short-term and long-term mechanisms.
Baroreceptor Reflex
Baroreceptors, located in the carotid sinuses and aortic arch, detect changes in blood pressure. When blood pressure rises, these stretch-sensitive receptors...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose01:16

Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose

Insulin is released by beta cells of the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high. It facilitates glucose absorption and utilization in insulin-dependent cells with insulin receptors on their plasma membranes. Insulin promotes glucose uptake by increasing the number of glucose transport proteins in the cell membrane, allowing glucose to enter the cell. As a result, glucose utilization and ATP production are enhanced.
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle01:22

Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle

The ovarian cycle regulates endometrial changes throughout a single menstrual cycle via the coordinated action of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotrophins.
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
Neural Regulation01:37

Neural Regulation

Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.

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Manipulation of Rhythmic Food Intake in Mice Using a Custom-Made Feeding System
07:34

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Published on: December 16, 2022

Brainstem Astrocytes Regulate Estrus-Dependent Oscillations in Food Intake.

K Selin Ozkaya1, Ceyda Yalcin1, Emily E Haar1

  • 1Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Penn State University - College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.

Journal of Neurochemistry
|June 18, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Dorsal vagal complex (DVC) astrocytes adapt to estrogen levels, influencing food intake. Inhibiting these astrocytes disrupts normal feeding patterns, revealing their role in energy homeostasis.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Endocrinology
  • Astrocyte Biology

Background:

  • Dorsal vagal complex (DVC) astrocytes regulate food intake and energy balance.
  • Glutamatergic signaling from DVC astrocytes to dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) motoneurons is crucial for caloric homeostasis.
  • Food intake in female rats varies with the estrus cycle, decreasing during high estrogen periods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of DVC astrocyte adaptation in estrus cycle-dependent food intake fluctuations.
  • To determine the mechanisms underlying estrogen's influence on feeding behavior via DVC astrocytes and NMDA signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry to assess astrocyte changes (GFAP-IR, morphology) across the estrus cycle.
  • Chemogenetics to manipulate DVC astrocyte activity.
  • Electrophysiology to record DMV neuron activity.
  • Pharmacological interventions targeting estrogen receptors and brainstem astrocytes.

Main Results:

  • Increased GFAP-IR and astrocyte complexity correlated with high estrogen levels.
  • DVC astrocyte inhibition abolished food intake oscillations; activation decreased food intake.
  • Estrus-dependent feeding changes involved DMV NMDA receptor activation, modulated by estrogen and astrocytes.

Conclusions:

  • DVC astrocytes play a fundamental role in estrogen-mediated regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis.
  • Astrocyte and NMDA receptor signaling are key mediators of estrus cycle-dependent feeding patterns.
  • These findings highlight astrocytes as critical regulators of hormonal influences on appetite.