Chronic high-fat diet affects food-motivated behavior and hedonic systems in the nucleus accumbens of male rats.

Chronic high-fat diet affects food-motivated behavior and hedonic systems in the nucleus accumbens of male rats. Appetite. 2020 May 18;:104739 Authors: Arcego DM, Krolow R, Lampert C, Toniazzo AP, Garcia EDS, Lazzaretti C, Costa G, Scorza C, Dalmaz C Abstract Environmental variations can influence eating and motivated behaviors, as well as the brain's feeding circuits to predisposing overweight and obesity. The identification of mechanisms through which a long-term consumption of caloric-dense palatable foods and its association with early life stress can cause neuroadaptations and possible modify motivational behaviors are relevant to elucidate the mechanisms associated with obesity. Here, we investigated the long-term effects of a chronic high-fat diet (HFD), and its interaction with early social isolation on hedonic feeding responses in adult rats. Rats were subjected, or not, to social isolation between postnatal days 21-28 and were fed a control diet or HFD, for 10 weeks post weaning. Hedonic feeding behavior was evaluated during adulthood and parameters related to the dopaminergic, cannabinoid, and opioid systems were measured in the nucleus accumbens. Animals with chronic HFD intake were less motivated to obtain sweet palatable foods. This reduced motivation did not appear to be associated with less pleasure upon tasting sweet food, as no alteration in reactivity to sweet taste was observed. Interestingly, the animals receivin...
Source: Appetite - Category: Nutrition Authors: Tags: Appetite Source Type: research