Kim JS, Williams KC, Kirkland RA, Schade R, Freeman KG, Cawthon CR, Rautmann AW, Smith JM, Edwards GL, Glenn TC, Holmes PV, de Lartigue G, de La Serre CB (2023) The gut-brain axis mediates bacterial driven modulation of reward signaling. Mol Metab 26:101764. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101764 PMID: 37380023
Objective: To investigate the role of gut microbiota and vagal signaling in modulating brain dopamine reward pathways and appetitive feeding behavior.
Summary: The study found that high-fat diet and transfer of high-fat microbiota to germ-free rats reduced dopamine signaling and motivated feeding behavior compared to chow-fed and low-fat microbiota groups. Vagal deafferentation restored dopamine signaling and feeding motivation in high-fat microbiota rats, indicating gut bacteria signals that dampen reward are vagally mediated.
Usage: Animals were injected bilaterally into the nodose ganglion with either Saporin or CCK-SAP. A pulled glass micropipette containing either CCK-SAP (240 ng/ml in 0.1 M phosphate buffer) or SAP alone was inserted under the sheath of the cervical vagus and into the NG, the injection was done with a pressure-injector into two sites (one proximal and one distal, total volume, 1 µl).
Related Products: CCK-SAP (Cat. #IT-31), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)