PIVOTAL ROLE OF ENERGY METABOLISM IN CONTROL OF BEHAVIOR

NIMH研究科学家发展奖的申请是 专注于感觉和神经内分泌机制， 生殖生理和行为，当女性面临 精力充沛的挑战（如食物短缺或增加锻炼） 要求）。 这项工作与若干健康问题有关。 具体而言是 这项工作对理解与不孕症相关的 过度的体重减轻和增加，以及影响 热量平衡，如糖尿病和低血糖症。 更一般地说， 这项工作将阐明新陈代谢和 神经系统以及营养、运动、能量之间的联系 新陈代谢和心理健康。 这项工作的重点是雌性啮齿动物，因为它们非常精致 对能源供求变化敏感。 例如，当他们 经历长期的食物短缺或环境温度下降 它们会改变食物偏好和觅食策略， 更大的巢，减弱或暂停生殖努力，或在极端情况下， 进入一段冬眠期 这些反应都可以被视为 适应不断变化的能源需求。 中心主题是 代谢能量可用性的感觉探测器的关键作用。 申请人已经证明，发情期、筑巢和冬眠可以 由阻断细胞可用性的治疗引发，以及 从而氧化特定代谢底物。 她未来的工作将 围绕着感觉器官的性质和位置（解剖部位） 代谢燃料可用性的检测器以及这些检测器的接口 具有控制发情周期的神经内分泌系统的探测器，食物 摄入量和体温调节行为。 她将研究 这些行为的代谢挑战， 显微注射，特定脑干核团的病变，束示踪和 c-fos免疫细胞化学。

This application for an NIMH Research Scientist Development Award is focused on the sensory and neuroendocrine mechanisms that change reproductive physiology and behavior when females are faced with energetic challenges (such as food shortages or increased exercise requirements). This work is relevant to a number of health issues. Specifically, the work has implications for understanding infertility associated with excessive body weight loss and gain, and with diseases that affect caloric homeostasis, such as diabetes and hypoglycemia. More generally, this work will elucidate the interaction between metabolism and the nervous system and the links among nutrition, exercise, energy metabolism, and mental health. The work is focused on female rodents because they are exquisitely sensitive to changes in energy supply and demand. For example, when they experience prolonged food shortages or decreases in ambient temperature they will change their food preferences and foraging strategies, build larger nests, attenuate or suspend reproductive effort, or in extremes, enter a bout of hibernation. These responses may all be viewed as adaptations to changing energy requirements. The central theme is the pivotal role of sensory detectors of metabolic energy availability. The applicant has shown that anestrus, nest building, and hibernation can be initiated by treatments that block the cellular availability, and hence oxidation, of specific metabolic substrates. Her future work will revolve around the nature and location (anatomical sites) of sensory detectors of metabolic fuel availability and the interface of these detectors with neuroendocrine systems controlling estrous cycles, food intake, and thermoregulatory behaviors. She will study the effects of metabolic challenges on these behaviors using intracerebral microinjections, lesions of specific brain stem nuclei, tract-tracing and c-fos immunocytochemistry.