Activity, Motor Control & Coordination
Pain - Thermal Allodynia / Hyperalgesia
Pain - Spontaneous Pain - Postural Deficit
Pain - Mechanical Allodynia / Hyperalgesia
Anxiety & Depression Disorder
Learning/Memory - Attention - Addiction
Physiology & Respiratory Research
Metabolism - Food & Drink Intake
Pain
Metabolism
Motor control
Neurodegeneration
Cross-disciplinary subjects
Muscular system
General activity
Mood Disorders
Other disorders
Joints
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Sensory system
Authors
J Zemdegs, H Martin, H Pintana, S Bullich, S Manta et al
Lab
Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie IntŽgrative (CBI), UniversitŽ de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
Journal
Journal of Neuroscience
Abstract
Epidemiological studies indicate that insulin resistance (IR), a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes, is associated with an increased risk of major depression. Here, we demonstrated that male mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) exhibited peripheral metabolic impairments reminiscent of IR accompanied by elevated circulating levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) whereas both parameters were normalized by a chronic treatment with metformin (Met). Given the role of BCAAs in the regulation of tryptophan influx into the brain, we then explored the activity of the serotonin (5-HT) system. Our results indicated that HFD mice displayed impairment in the electrical activity of dorsal raphe (DR) 5-HT neurons, attenuated hippocampal extracellular 5-HT concentrations and caused anxiety, one of the most visible and early symptoms of depression. On the contrary, Met stimulated 5-HT neurons excitability and 5-HT neurotransmission while hindering HFD-induced anxiety. Met also promoted antidepressant-like activities as observed with fluoxetine. In light of these data, we designed a modified HFD in which BCAA dietary supply was reduced by half. Deficiency in BCAAs failed to reverse HFD-induced metabolic impairments while producing antidepressant-like activity and enhancing the behavioral response to fluoxetine. Our results suggest that Met may act by decreasing circulating BCAAs levels to favor serotonergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus and promote antidepressant-like effects in mice fed a HFD. These findings also lead us to envision that a diet poor in BCAAs, provided either alone or as add-on therapy to conventional antidepressant drugs, could help relieving depressive symptoms in patients with metabolic comorbidities.
BIOSEB Instruments Used:
Tail Suspension Test - Wireless (BIO-TST5)
