Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine
Diet-induced obesity reduces dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and stressful weight loss interventions could promote cravings for palatable foods high in fat and sugar that stimulate dopamine. Activation of κ-opioid receptors (KORs) reduces synaptic dopamine, but contrib...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2341 |
| _version_ | 1797526466497347584 |
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| author | Conner W. Wallace Nari S. Beatty Sarah A. Hutcherson Heather A. Emmons Madison C. Loudermilt Steve C. Fordahl |
| author_facet | Conner W. Wallace Nari S. Beatty Sarah A. Hutcherson Heather A. Emmons Madison C. Loudermilt Steve C. Fordahl |
| author_sort | Conner W. Wallace |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Diet-induced obesity reduces dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and stressful weight loss interventions could promote cravings for palatable foods high in fat and sugar that stimulate dopamine. Activation of κ-opioid receptors (KORs) reduces synaptic dopamine, but contribution of KORs to lower dopamine tone after dietary changes is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the function of KORs in C57BL/6 mice that consumed a 60% high-fat diet (HFD) for six weeks followed by replacement of HFD with a control 10% fat diet for one day or one week. HFD replacement induced voluntary caloric restriction and weight loss. However, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry revealed no differences in baseline dopamine parameters, whereas sex effects were revealed during KOR stimulation. NAc core dopamine release was reduced by KOR agonism after one day of HFD replacement in females but after one week of HFD replacement in males. Further, elevated plus-maze testing revealed no diet effects during HFD replacement on overt anxiety. These results suggest that KORs reduce NAc dopamine tone and increase food-related anxiety during dietary weight loss interventions that could subsequently promote palatable food cravings and inhibit weight loss. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-921b900acac14181a8983c18455b5e24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-921b900acac14181a8983c18455b5e242023-11-22T04:36:01ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-07-01137234110.3390/nu13072341Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens DopamineConner W. Wallace0Nari S. Beatty1Sarah A. Hutcherson2Heather A. Emmons3Madison C. Loudermilt4Steve C. Fordahl5The Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Ave, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC 27412, USAThe Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Ave, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC 27412, USAThe Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Ave, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC 27412, USAThe Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Ave, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC 27412, USAThe Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Ave, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC 27412, USAThe Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 319 College Ave, 318 Stone Building, Greensboro, NC 27412, USADiet-induced obesity reduces dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and stressful weight loss interventions could promote cravings for palatable foods high in fat and sugar that stimulate dopamine. Activation of κ-opioid receptors (KORs) reduces synaptic dopamine, but contribution of KORs to lower dopamine tone after dietary changes is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the function of KORs in C57BL/6 mice that consumed a 60% high-fat diet (HFD) for six weeks followed by replacement of HFD with a control 10% fat diet for one day or one week. HFD replacement induced voluntary caloric restriction and weight loss. However, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry revealed no differences in baseline dopamine parameters, whereas sex effects were revealed during KOR stimulation. NAc core dopamine release was reduced by KOR agonism after one day of HFD replacement in females but after one week of HFD replacement in males. Further, elevated plus-maze testing revealed no diet effects during HFD replacement on overt anxiety. These results suggest that KORs reduce NAc dopamine tone and increase food-related anxiety during dietary weight loss interventions that could subsequently promote palatable food cravings and inhibit weight loss.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2341κ-opioid receptorshigh-fat diet replacementdopamine neurotransmissionnucleus accumbens corenovelty-induced hypophagiaelevated plus-maze |
| spellingShingle | Conner W. Wallace Nari S. Beatty Sarah A. Hutcherson Heather A. Emmons Madison C. Loudermilt Steve C. Fordahl Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Nutrients κ-opioid receptors high-fat diet replacement dopamine neurotransmission nucleus accumbens core novelty-induced hypophagia elevated plus-maze |
| title | Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine |
| title_full | Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine |
| title_fullStr | Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine |
| title_short | Replacing a Palatable High-Fat Diet with a Low-Fat Alternative Heightens κ-Opioid Receptor Control over Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine |
| title_sort | replacing a palatable high fat diet with a low fat alternative heightens κ opioid receptor control over nucleus accumbens dopamine |
| topic | κ-opioid receptors high-fat diet replacement dopamine neurotransmission nucleus accumbens core novelty-induced hypophagia elevated plus-maze |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2341 |
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