Kocum Courtney G, Cam Yonca, Shay Dusti A, Schweizer Tim A, Konrad Ella R, Houska Tabitha K, Sardina Carlos A, Schachtman Todd R, Vieira-Potter Victoria J, Will Matthew J
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.
Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States.
Front Integr Neurosci. 2024 Jul 26;18:1426219. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2024.1426219. eCollection 2024.
The relationship between physical activity levels and feeding behaviors has been a focus of preclinical research for decades, yet this interaction has only recently been explored for potential sex differences. The aim of the present study was to isolate sex-dependent effects of voluntary wheel running (RUN) vs. sedentary locked wheel (SED) home cage conditions on palatability-driven feeding behavior using a 2-diet choice task between standard chow and a high-fat diet. The sex-dependent effects of physical activity on feeding behavior were examined following a within-subject novel reversal design of physical activity conditions (i.e., RUN > SED > RUN), to assess temporal sensitivity of the interaction. Following the final 2 weeks of reestablished and sustained RUN vs. SED conditions in separate groups of both males and females, reward-related opioid and dopamine gene expression within the nucleus accumbens (Acb) brain region were analyzed. Results demonstrated that the initial RUN > SED transition led to sex-dependent effects of SED condition, as males increased, and females decreased their high fat consumption, compared to their respective high fat consumption during previous RUN condition phase. Following reintroduction to the RUN condition, males decreased, and females increased their high fat consumption, compared to their separate SED control group. Last, sex-dependent shifts in ventral striatal opioid- and dopamine-related gene expression were observed to parallel the behavioral effects. The major findings of the study reveal that SED and RUN home cage conditions shift palatability-driven feeding in the opposite direction for males and females, these effects are sensitive to reversal, and these sex-dependent feeding behaviors track sex-dependent changes to critical reward-related gene expression patterns in the Acb. Considering the present high rates of sedentary behavior and obesity, furthering our understanding of the interaction between physical activity (or lack thereof) and feeding behavior should be a priority, especially in the context of these divergent sex-dependent outcomes.
几十年来，身体活动水平与进食行为之间的关系一直是临床前研究的重点，但这种相互作用直到最近才被探讨其潜在的性别差异。本研究的目的是通过在标准食物和高脂肪饮食之间进行双饮食选择任务，分离自愿轮转跑步（RUN）与久坐锁定轮（SED）笼内条件对适口性驱动的进食行为的性别依赖性影响。在身体活动条件的受试者内新颖反转设计（即RUN > SED > RUN）之后，检查身体活动对进食行为的性别依赖性影响，以评估这种相互作用的时间敏感性。在雄性和雌性的单独组中重新建立并维持RUN与SED条件的最后2周后，分析伏隔核（Acb）脑区中与奖励相关的阿片样物质和多巴胺基因表达。结果表明，最初从RUN到SED的转变导致SED条件产生性别依赖性影响，与之前RUN条件阶段各自的高脂肪摄入量相比，雄性增加了高脂肪摄入量，而雌性减少了高脂肪摄入量。在重新引入RUN条件后，与各自的SED对照组相比，雄性减少了高脂肪摄入量，而雌性增加了高脂肪摄入量。最后，观察到腹侧纹状体阿片样物质和多巴胺相关基因表达的性别依赖性变化与行为效应平行。该研究的主要发现表明，SED和RUN笼内条件使雄性和雌性的适口性驱动进食向相反方向转变，这些效应易于反转，并且这些性别依赖性进食行为跟踪Acb中关键奖励相关基因表达模式的性别依赖性变化。考虑到目前久坐行为和肥胖的高发生率，加深我们对身体活动（或缺乏身体活动）与进食行为之间相互作用的理解应该是一个优先事项，特别是在这些不同的性别依赖性结果的背景下。
