Male mice engaging differently in emotional eating present distinct plasmatic and neurological profiles

ABSTRACT

Objective: Stressed individuals tend to turn to calorie-rich food, also known as ‘comfort food’ for the temporary relief it provides. The emotional eating drive is highly variable among subjects. Using a rodent model, we explored the plasmatic and neurobiological differences between ‘high and low emotional eaters’ (HEE and LEE).

Methods: 40 male mice were exposed for 5 weeks to a protocol of unpredictable chronic mild stress. Every 3 or 4 days, they were submitted to a 1-h restraint stress, immediately followed by a 3-h period during which a choice between chow and chocolate sweet cereals was proposed. The dietary intake was measured by weighing. Plasmatic and neurobiological characteristics were compared in mice displaying high vs low intakes.

Results: Out of 40 mice, 8 were considered as HEE because of their high post-stress eating score, and 8 as LEE because of their consistent low intake. LEE displayed higher plasma corticosterone and lower levels of NPY than HEE, but acylated and total ghrelin were similar in both groups. In the brain, the abundance of NPY neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus was similar in both groups, but was higher in the ventral hippocampus and the basal lateral amygdala of LEE. The lateral hypothalamus LEE had also more orexin (OX) positive neurons. Both NPY and OX are orexigenic peptides and mood regulators.

Discussion: Emotional eating difference was reflected in plasma and brain structures implicated in emotion and eating regulation. These results concur with the psychological side of food consumption.

KEYWORDS:

• Stress
• reward
• food intake
• brain

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the staff of the animal facility Anaxem (INRAe, Jouy en Josas, France) for excellent care to the animals, and their help and support, and to the staff of the @BRIDGE imaging facility (INRAe, Jouy en Josas, France).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by funds from INRAE (ANSSD from AlimH department).

Notes on contributors

Christine Heberden

Dr. Christine Heberden is a physiologist, interested in the gut-brain axis, focusing on the impact of stress. She is implementing her research at the Micalis Institute (INRAE, Jouy en Josas, France).

Elise Maximin

Dr. Elise Maximin is a neurobiologist interested in the gut-brain axis, focusing on the impact of stress. She is implementing her research at the Micalis Institute (INRAE, Jouy en Josas, France).

Sylvie Rabot

Dr. Sylvie Rabot is a physiologist, interested in the gut-brain axis, focusing on the impact of stress. She is implementing her research at the Micalis Institute (INRAE, Jouy en Josas, France).

Laurent Naudon

Dr. Laurent Naudon is a neurobiologist interested in the gut-brain axis, focusing on the impact of stress. He is implementing his research at the Micalis Institute (INRAE, Jouy en Josas, France).