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Brain Circuits Split Fat and Carb Choices Under Energy Deficit, Mouse Study Finds

A mouse study maps PVH neuron populations that separately drive carbohydrate versus fat intake during 2DG-triggered glucoprivation.

Overview

  • In the PVH, AMPK-regulated CRH neurons promoted high-carbohydrate intake, while MC4R-expressing neurons promoted high-fat intake after 2DG.
  • NPY neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract and ventrolateral medulla activated both PVH pathways, enhancing intake of both diet types under glucoprivation.
  • NPY neurons in the arcuate nucleus inhibited PVH MC4R neurons, producing an increase in high-fat intake alone.
  • The work, led by researchers including Yasuhiko Minokoshi and Ken-ichiro Nakajima at NIPS with collaborators at Nagoya University and Sugiyama Jogakuen University, is published in Metabolism (2025).
  • The findings provide first experimental evidence in mice for nutrient-specific control of feeding by distinct PVH circuits using a 2-deoxy-D-glucose model, with implications that remain preclinical.