Ghrelin modulation of reward mechanisms

包括人类在内的动物进食不仅是因为它们饥饿，而且还因为吃某些食物会带来特别的愉悦感。在这种情况下，尽管这些食物含有的热量比当天用于能量的食物多，但它们还是被过度消耗了。胃饥饿素是一种由胃产生的激素，它似乎也是通过刺激与大脑奖励机制相关的多巴胺细胞来促进此类食物的过度消耗。在当前的提案中，我们提出研究以确定生长素释放肽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，拟议的工作将促进调节这种激素分泌的创新方法，以及生长素释放肽受体激活与其他神经递质受体激活之间的相互作用，作为了解它如何影响大脑以增加寻求奖励行为的手段。为此，我们将结合使用行为、分子和遗传技术以及转基因模型，以确定大脑内特定细胞组中的生长素释放肽功能。

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.