Mesolimbic dopaminergic system activity as a function of food reward: a microdialysis study
Abstract
The mesolimbic dopaminergic system (MDS) has been shown to be implicated in feeding behaviors. The present experiment was conducted to examine the effects of the sensory properties of food ingested on MDS activity. Microdialysis coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was employed to measure the extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) and its main metabolites (DOPAC and HVA) in the nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats. During microdialysis sessions rats had access or not to powdered foods varying in palatability: short cakes as highly palatable (HP) food and regular chow as low palatable (LP) food. In the absence of food, there were no alterations in extracellular levels of DA, DOPAC, and HVA. During feeding, DA rose significantly with a greater rise for the HP than the LP food. Levels of DOPAC and HVA only reached significance with the HP food. The results indicate that the MDS is activated on ingestion of food, and suggest that MDS activity is related to the rewarding properties of foods.
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In rodent studies, extracellular concentrations of dopamine and its metabolites in the nucleus accumbens increased more after consumption of highly palatable food than after standard rodent feed pellets.
“In rodent studies, extracellular concentrations of dopamine and its metabolites in the nucleus accumbens increased more after the consumption of highly palatable food than standard rodent feed pellets (4).”
From Effects of dietary glycemic index on brain regions related to reward and craving in men (2013) · cites this paper as [4]
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- Authors
- Martel, P.
- Affiliations
- Université de Bourgogne (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Martel, P
- Venue
- Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1996-01
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 221-226
- ISSN
- 0091-3057 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1972178738
- Cited by
- 224
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 1.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Conseil régional de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- mesolimbic dopamine system, food reward, palatability, nucleus accumbens, dopamine, DOPAC, homovanillic acid, feeding behavior, extracellular dopamine, rats
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Dopamine, Food, Homovanillic Acid, Limbic System, Male, Nucleus Accumbens, Reward, 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Microdialysis, Rats
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