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PRECLINICAL STUDY: FULL ARTICLE: Ghrelin increases intake of rewarding food in rodents
Author(s) -
Egecioglu Emil,
Jerlhag Elisabet,
Salomé Nicolas,
Skibicka Karolina P.,
Haage David,
BohloolyY Mohammad,
Andersson Daniel,
Bjursell Mikael,
Perrissoud Daniel,
Engel Jörgen A.,
Dickson Suzanne L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2010.00216.x
Subject(s) - ghrelin , ventral tegmental area , food intake , dopamine , medicine , endocrinology , knockout mouse , reward system , antagonist , palatability , psychology , food consumption , neuroscience , receptor , dopaminergic , pathology , agricultural economics , economics
We investigated whether ghrelin action at the level of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a key node in the mesolimbic reward system, is important for the rewarding and motivational aspects of the consumption of rewarding/palatable food. Mice with a disrupted gene encoding the ghrelin receptor (GHS‐R1A) and rats treated peripherally with a GHS‐R1A antagonist both show suppressed intake of rewarding food in a free choice (chow/rewarding food) paradigm. Moreover, accumbal dopamine release induced by rewarding food was absent in GHS‐R1A knockout mice. Acute bilateral intra‐VTA administration of ghrelin increased 1‐hour consumption of rewarding food but not standard chow. In comparison with sham rats, VTA‐lesioned rats had normal intracerebroventricular ghrelin‐induced chow intake, although both intake of and time spent exploring rewarding food was decreased. Finally, the ability of rewarding food to condition a place preference was suppressed by the GHS‐R1A antagonist in rats. Our data support the hypothesis that central ghrelin signaling at the level of the VTA is important for the incentive value of rewarding food.