Changes in neurotensin signalling drive hedonic devaluation in obesity.

ABSTRACT: Calorie-rich foods, particularly those that are high in fat and sugar, evoke pleasure in both humans and animals¹. However, prolonged consumption of such foods may reduce their hedonic value, potentially contributing to obesity^2-4. Here we investigated this phenomenon in mice on a chronic high-fat diet (HFD). Although these mice preferred high-fat food over regular chow in their home cages, they showed reduced interest in calorie-rich foods in a no-effort setting. This paradoxical decrease in hedonic feeding has been reported previously^3-7, but its neurobiological basis remains unclear. We found that in mice on regular diet, neurons in the lateral nucleus accumbens (NAcLat) projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) encoded hedonic feeding behaviours. I

SUBMITTER: Gazit Shimoni N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12119351 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature