Award details

Melanocortin receptors serotonin and feeding

Reference	BB/C505291/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Peter Clifton
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Sussex
Department	Sch of Psychology
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	295,158
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/01/2005
End date	31/07/2008
Duration	43 months

Abstract

Sequences of feeding behaviour consist of approach to food-related cues, consumption of food and the development of satiety. Each of these steps contributes to the long term regulation of food intake and body weight. This project will study the contribution of melanocortin4 receptor (MC4) activation to each of these components using operant, taste reactivity and observational paradigms. The operant paradigms will include measures of pavlovian approach to a food-related cue as well as instrumental response for food. In addition, the project will examine interactions of MC4 with either 5-HT2C or 5-HT1B receptors that influence feeding. This will be done, at a behavioural level, by using pharmacological and genetic manipulations of the receptors combined with the behaviour tasks listed earlier, and, at a neuroanatomical level, by using c-fos and double labelling approaches in relevant forebrain and hindbrain nuclei. The results from these experiments will specify the contribution of MC4 and serotonergic mechanisms to the organisation of feeding behaviour, and may have broader relevance to other classes of motivated behaviour. In addition the results may suggest new directions for the development of drug treatments for obesity.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	Diet and Health, Neuroscience and Behaviour
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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