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Cited by 277Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorEating Disorders and BehaviorsRegulation of Appetite and Obesity

After daily bingeing on a sucrose solution, food deprivation induces anxiety and accumbens dopamine/acetylcholine imbalance

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Avena, Nicole M., Bocarsly, Miriam E., Rada, Pedro, Kim, Agnes, Hoebel, Bartley G.·2008·Physiology & Behavior
DOI 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.008PMC PMC4354893
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Abstract

Bingeing on sugar may activate neural pathways in a manner similar to taking drugs of abuse, resulting in related signs of dependence. The present experiments test whether rats that have been bingeing on sucrose and then fasted demonstrate signs of opiate-like withdrawal. Rats were maintained on 12-h deprivation followed by 12-h access to a 10% sucrose solution and chow for 28 days, then fasted for 36 h. These animals spent less time on the exposed arm of an elevated plus-maze compared with a similarly deprived ad libitum chow group, suggesting anxiety. Microdialysis revealed a concomitant increase in extracellular acetylcholine and decrease in dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens shell. These results did not appear to be due to hypoglycemia. The findings suggest that a diet of bingeing on sucrose and chow followed by fasting creates a state that involves anxiety and altered accumbens dopamine and acetylcholine balance. This is similar to the effects of naloxone, suggesting opiate-like withdrawal. This may be a factor in some eating disorders.

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  • Withdrawal from binge eating increases acetylcholine release in the NAc.

    “withdrawal from binge eating increases acetylcholine release in the NAc (Avena et al. 2008).”

    From Mechanisms of Nicotine Addiction (2021) · cites this paper as Avena et al. 2008

    The Results report increased extracellular acetylcholine in the nucleus accumbens after 24–36 hours of fasting in rats that had binged on sucrose and chow. The Abstract interprets the fasting state as resembling opiate-like withdrawal. The claim omits those limits and states the effect for withdrawal from binge eating generally. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Authors
Avena, N. M., Bocarsly, M. E., Rada, P., Kim, A., & Hoebel, B. G.
Affiliations
Princeton University (US)
Corresponding author
Hoebel, Bartley G.
ORCID
Venue
Physiology & Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2008-06
Volume
94
Issue
3
Pages
309-315
ISSN
0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.008
PMC
PMC4354893
OpenAlex
W2010569444
Cited by
277
References
4
Citations by year
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FWCI
5.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Public Health Service
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA12882, R01AA012882)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (F31DA016458, DA-16458)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK-79793, F32DK079793)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
Keywords
food deprivation, anxiety, nucleus accumbens shell, dopamine release, acetylcholine release, naloxone, eating disorders, hypoglycemia, elevated plus maze
MeSH terms
Acetylcholine, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Anxiety, Behavior, Animal, Blood Glucose, Bulimia, Energy Intake, Dopamine, Eating, Feeding Behavior, Food Deprivation, Male, Nucleus Accumbens, Sucrose, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Rats

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