Neurobiology of chemosensation, reward and eating behaviors; molecular and neuronal mechanisms along the gut-brain-axis in animal models

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We are studying sensory science and metabolism in animal models of obesity and metabolic dysfunction. Metabolic Dysfunction and Sensory Science: The rise in obesity is associated with an increased availability of highly palatable and energy-dense foods rich in fat and sugar. The pleasure-driven value of energy-dense foods promotes their preferential consumption, which can lead to increased caloric intake and obesity. Taste, olfaction, and other chemosensory systems contribute to hedonic processing and eating behavior. Thus, there is growing interest in the role of taste in obesity, including studying the biological mediators of fat taste and associated olfaction as potential targets for pharmacologic and nutritional interventions. Pre-clinical studies are necessary to test potential mechanisms underlying chemosensation that we cannot test in clinical populations. The ongoing project will allow us to understand chemosensory changes associated with diet and how sensory cues reshape brain reward circuitry. To this end, we are investigating the impact of diet and obesity on neuronal dynamics in mouse brain regions involved in chemosensation and reward (i.e., olfactory bulb, olfactory cortex, and insular cortex). Specifically, we will examine the effect of diet on behavior (e.g., taste preference and smell detection/discrimination), neuronal dynamics (e.g., neuronal activation, neuronal circuitry, and neuronal phenotype), and transcriptome and protein levels. To achieve this goal, we have been developing protocols that utilize techniques including optogenetics, electrophysiology, and transcriptomic studies. Collaborations continue with intramural and extramural collaborators. Drs. Claudia Colina-Prisco and Marcel Vega are leading this ongoing subproject. Sensory System Disturbances: Opioid use disorders, including misuse of prescription pain relievers, are a national crisis with devastating consequences, including a rapidly escalating number of opioid overdose-related deaths. The physiological mechanisms underlying pain, addiction, and their intersection are not fully understood. This research aims to study genomic changes across multiple phenotypes of pain, opioid use, and opioid use disorder. The goal is to improve understanding of the relationship between disturbances in sensory systems and disease. This includes substance use disorder-induced differences in thresholds and responses to taste, olfaction, and changes in pain perception. Projects have started, and preliminary findings have been obtained. No publications are available for these projects yet.