Fatty Acids and Amino Acids in the Regulation of Food Intake in Rats

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Clearly there is an urgency to understand the role of food and food components in the regulation of food intake. My long-term interest has been in the elucidation of the mechanisms by which food proteins and essential amino acids suppress hunger and provide feelings of satiety. ******We have previously established the mechanisms by which food proteins and essential amino acids released during digestion provide satiety signals from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain and now want to turn to an examination of the role of non-essential amino acids, starting with glutamate, a commonly used food additive, in gut and brain mechanisms regulating food intake. Furthermore, we have recently demonstrated on animal model that not only type of protein, but also the source of dietary fat and fatty acid composition, differentially affects food intake and body weight. Therefore, this research is aimed at examining the mechanisms and the role of fatty acids released from dietary fat sources, with particular interest on medium-chain fatty acids, in the gut-brain axis. ******The work proposed herein is essential for elucidation of basic mechanisms of food intake regulation and requires the use of an animal model where invasive procedures can be used. The elucidation of the mechanisms of action of dietary nonessential amino acids and fatty acids on food intake and metabolic homeostasis has potential to advance the understanding of the mechanisms of gut-brain nutrient-sensing systems and lead to innovation in functional foods and drugs.