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Researchers have found a subgroup of neurons whose activation in mice leads to binge eating.
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Researchers have identified a subgroup of neurons in the brain that, when activated, cause binge eating in mice. Repeated activation of these neurons in the so-called Zona Inertia also led to higher body weight.
Patients receiving deep brain stimulation (a form of electrical stimulation of the thalamus for the treatment of movement disorders [1]) also showed signs of binge eating. Researchers from Yale wanted to investigate this phenomenon using optogenetics, a method to identify and activate neurons [2]. They used optogenetics to stimulate certain GABA neurons in the Zona Inertia.
Stimulating GABA neurons in the zona inertia with projections to the nucleus paraventricularis hypothalami led to binge eating. This occurred within 2 to 3 seconds after stimulation. Several minutes after stimulation, the mice consumed 35% of the (high-fat) food intended for a 24-hour period. The researchers also observed that ghrelin, a hormone indicating decreased energy, stimulated the GABA neurons in the Zona Inertia.
Five minutes of stimulation every three hours resulted in significantly increased food intake and weight gain in the mice. After stopping the stimulation, the mice ate less than control mice.
References
- epilepsievereniging.nl/alles-over-epilepsie/behandelingen/dbs/?gclid=CjsKDwjw6qnJBRDpoonDwLSeZhIkAIpTR8LSaBW0GEvuDUDO8gcmSUnMaTCmLZgkKvG7wrX7L2-5GgJ3GfD_BwE
- Xiaobing Zhang, Anthony N. van den Pol. Rapid binge-like eating and body weight gain driven by zona incerta GABA neuron activation. Science, 2017; 356 (6340): 853 DOI: 10.1126/science.aam7100
