Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone neurons integrate food-motivated appetitive and consummatory processes in rats

Keshav S. Subramanian, Logan Tierno Lauer, Anna M. R. Hayes, Léa Décarie-Spain, Kara McBurnett, Anna C. Nourbash, Kristen N. Donohue, Alicia E. Kao, Alexander G. Bashaw, Denis Burdakov, Emily E. Noble, Lindsey A. Schier and Scott E. Kanoski ()
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Keshav S. Subramanian: University of Southern California
Logan Tierno Lauer: University of Southern California
Anna M. R. Hayes: University of Southern California
Léa Décarie-Spain: University of Southern California
Kara McBurnett: University of Southern California
Anna C. Nourbash: University of Southern California
Kristen N. Donohue: University of Southern California
Alicia E. Kao: University of Southern California
Alexander G. Bashaw: University of Southern California
Denis Burdakov: ETH Zurich
Emily E. Noble: University of Georgia
Lindsey A. Schier: University of Southern California
Scott E. Kanoski: University of Southern California

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) integrates homeostatic processes and reward-motivated behaviors. Here we show that LHA neurons that produce melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) are dynamically responsive to both food-directed appetitive and consummatory processes in male rats. Specifically, results reveal that MCH neuron Ca2+ activity increases in response to both discrete and contextual food-predictive cues and is correlated with food-motivated responses. MCH neuron activity also increases during eating, and this response is highly predictive of caloric consumption and declines throughout a meal, thus supporting a role for MCH neurons in the positive feedback consummatory process known as appetition. These physiological MCH neural responses are functionally relevant as chemogenetic MCH neuron activation promotes appetitive behavioral responses to food-predictive cues and increases meal size. Finally, MCH neuron activation enhances preference for a noncaloric flavor paired with intragastric glucose. Collectively, these data identify a hypothalamic neural population that orchestrates both food-motivated appetitive and intake-promoting consummatory processes.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37344-9

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