美国霍华德休斯医学研究所Scott M. Sternson研究组近日发现，后脑双负反馈介导食感引导的食物和水的消耗。这一研究成果于2020年8月24日在线发表在国际学术期刊《细胞》上。

研究人员从周围的能量敏感和水合作用敏感的细胞群体中鉴定出在周围蓝斑中的谷氨酸能神经元（periLC^VGLUT2神经元）是一种多突触收敛节点。研究人员开发了在自由移动的小鼠中进行稳定后脑钙成像的方法，这些方法表明，periLC^VGLUT2神经元参与进食行为，并对食物或水的消耗做出类似反应。食用期间，食感和体内稳态需求可大规模抑制PeriLC^VGLUT2神经元。对periLC^VGLUT2神经元的抑制是有益的，并通过增强食感和延长摄取时间来增加消耗。

这些特性包括双负反馈关系，从而维持食物或水的消耗而不影响食物或水的寻求。PeriLC^VGLUT2神经元是饥饿和口渴之间的枢纽，从而专门控制食物和水的摄入动机，这是导致享乐主义暴饮暴食和肥胖的一个因素。

据了解，饥饿和口渴有不同的目的，但控制着相似的摄食行为，而关于这些行为状态之间共享的神经过程知之甚少。

附：英文原文

Title: Hindbrain Double-Negative Feedback Mediates Palatability-Guided Food and Water Consumption

Author: Rong Gong, Shengjin Xu, Ann Hermundstad, Yang Yu, Scott M. Sternson

Issue&Volume: 2020-08-24

Abstract: Hunger and thirst have distinct goals but control similar ingestive behaviors, andlittle is known about neural processes that are shared between these behavioral states.We identify glutamatergic neurons in the peri-locus coeruleus (periLCVGLUT2 neurons) as a polysynaptic convergence node from separate energy-sensitive and hydration-sensitivecell populations. We develop methods for stable hindbrain calcium imaging in free-movingmice, which show that periLCVGLUT2 neurons are tuned to ingestive behaviors and respond similarly to food or water consumption.PeriLCVGLUT2 neurons are scalably inhibited by palatability and homeostatic need during consumption.Inhibition of periLCVGLUT2 neurons is rewarding and increases consumption by enhancing palatability and prolongingingestion duration. These properties comprise a double-negative feedback relationshipthat sustains food or water consumption without affecting food- or water-seeking.PeriLCVGLUT2 neurons are a hub between hunger and thirst that specifically controls motivationfor food and water ingestion, which is a factor that contributes to hedonic overeatingand obesity.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.031

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)30939-9