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Ghrelin Mediates Anticipation to a Palatable Meal in Rats
Author(s) -
Merkestein Myrte,
Brans Maike A.D.,
Luijendijk Mieneke C.M.,
Jong Johannes W.,
Egecioglu Emil,
Dickson Suzanne L.,
Adan Roger A.H.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1038/oby.2011.389
Subject(s) - ghrelin , orexigenic , endocrinology , medicine , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , meal , food intake , antagonist , circadian rhythm , feeding behavior , hormone , psychology , receptor , neuropeptide , neuropeptide y receptor , artificial intelligence , computer science
Food anticipatory activity (FAA) is displayed in rats when access to food is restricted to a specific time frame of their circadian phase, a behavior thought to reflect both hunger and the motivation to eat. Rats also display FAA in a feeding schedule with ad libitum access to normal chow, but limited availability of a palatable meal, which is thought to involve mainly motivational aspects. The orexigenic hormone ghrelin has been implicated in FAA in rodents with restricted access to chow. Because ghrelin plays an important role not only in the control of food intake, but also in reward, we sought to determine the role of ghrelin in anticipation to a palatable meal. Plasma ghrelin levels of non‐restricted rats that anticipated chocolate correlated positively with FAA and were increased compared with chow‐fed control rats. Furthermore, centrally injected ghrelin increased, whereas an antagonist of the ghrelin receptor decreased, the anticipation to chocolate. Therefore, we hypothesize that central ghrelin signaling is able to mediate the motivational drive to eat.