Ghrelin modulation of reward mechanisms

包括人类在内的动物吃东西不仅是因为它们饿了，而且还因为某些食物的体验特别令人愉悦。在这种情况下，这些食物被过量食用，尽管它们所含的卡路里比一天中用于能量的食物要多。胃促生长素，一种由胃产生的激素，似乎也是一种通过刺激与大脑奖励机制相关的多巴胺细胞来促进这类食物过度消费的激素。在目前的建议中，我们建议研究ghrelin调节奖励过程以促进食物摄入的机制，以及与其他奖励刺激相关的潜在行为，包括性和滥用药物的摄入。此外，这项工作将促进创新的方法来调节这种激素的分泌，以及胃饥饿素受体激活与其他神经递质受体之间的相互作用，作为理解它如何影响大脑增加寻求奖励行为的一种手段。为了做到这一点，我们将结合使用行为、分子和遗传技术以及转基因模型，以确定大脑中特定细胞组中胃饥饿素的功能。

Animals including humans eat not only because they are hungry, but also because experience with certain foods is particularly pleasurable. In this case, these foods are over-consumed in spite of containing more calories than those used for energy on a given day. Ghrelin, a hormone produced by the stomach, is also one that seems to promote the over-consumption of these kinds of food through the stimulation of dopamine cells associated with reward mechanisms in the brain. In the current proposal, we propose studies to determine the mechanisms by which ghrelin modulates reward processes to promote food intake, and potentially behaviors associated with other stimuli that are rewarding including sex and the intake of drugs of abuse. Furthermore, the proposed work will promote innovative approaches to modulate the secretion of this hormone, and the interaction between ghrelin receptor activation, and that of other neurotransmitter receptors as a means to understand how it influences the brain to increase reward seeking behaviors. To do this, we will use a combination of behavioral, molecular and genetic techniques and transgenic models that allow for the determination of ghrelin function in specific sets of cells within the brain.