A recent study on mice conducted by researchers at University College London sheds light on how hunger hormones produced in the gut can influence decision-making and drive behavior. The findings, published in the journal Neuron, indicate that hunger hormones have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and directly impact the brain, potentially controlling a circuit that is likely similar in humans.
The blood-brain barrier is a known regulator that restricts various substances in the blood from reaching the brain. The researchers explored how hunger hormones could affect behavior by placing mice in an arena with food and observing their actions in hungry and full states.
The results revealed that while all mice investigated the food, only the hungry ones initiated eating. Brain imaging was used to study the activity in the ventral hippocampus, a brain region associated with decision-making and memory.
The researchers discovered that the activity in a subset of brain cells in the ventral hippocampus increased when mice approached the food, inhibiting them from eating. However, in hungry mice, reduced neural activity in this brain region was observed, allowing them to eat freely. This neural activity corresponded with high levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin circulating in the blood.
By experimentally activating these ventral hippocampal neurons, researchers could make mice behave as if they were full, leading them to stop eating. The findings suggest a direct link between hunger hormones, neural activity, and feeding behavior.
The implications of this research extend to understanding the mechanisms of eating disorders and exploring connections between diet and various health outcomes, including mental health risks. The scientists aim to further investigate whether hunger influences learning or memory, exploring potential variations in mice’s performance in non-food-specific tasks based on their hunger levels.
Continued research in this field may also provide insights into whether similar mechanisms play a role in responses to stress or thirst. The study contributes to the broader understanding of the intricate relationship between gut-produced hormones and brain function, potentially paving the way for future therapeutic interventions and applications in human health.
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