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

TY - JOUR

T1 - After daily bingeing on a sucrose solution, food deprivation induces anxiety and accumbens dopamine/acetylcholine imbalance

AU - Avena, Nicole M.

AU - Bocarsly, Miriam E.

AU - Rada, Pedro

AU - Kim, Agnes

AU - Hoebel, Bartley G.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by USPHS grant AA-12882 (to BGH) and DA-16458 and DK-79793 (fellowships to NMA).

PY - 2008/6/9

Y1 - 2008/6/9

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Acetylcholine

KW - Binge eating

KW - Bingeing

KW - Dopamine

KW - Microdialysis

KW - Nucleus accumbens

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/43549125988

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/43549125988#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.008

DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.008

M3 - Article

C2 - 18325546

SN - 0031-9384

VL - 94

SP - 309

EP - 315

JO - Physiology and Behavior

JF - Physiology and Behavior

IS - 3

ER -