Szczerbowska-Boruchowska Magdalena, Chenczke Aleksandra, Ruszczycki Blazej, Wrobel Pawel, Tokarczyk Wiktoria, Stec Patryk, Sowa Katarzyna M, Ziomber-Lisiak Agata
Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
Brain Struct Funct. 2025 May 15;230(5):66. doi: 10.1007/s00429-025-02930-8.
The hypothalamus, particularly its ventromedial and lateral regions, plays a pivotal role in homeostatic appetite regulation and is therefore a significant brain structure in the development of obesity. Additionally, the development of obesity can be caused by improper hedonic regulation, which involves neural circuits and systems associated with pleasure and reward. Several studies indicate a possible link between rubidium (Rb) and obesity, despite this element is not being typically considered influential in vital life processes. The present study, therefore, aims to investigate whether excessive body fat in obese animals alters rubidium levels in brain regions directly or indirectly involved in appetite regulation. The research was conducted on high-calorie diet (HCD)-induced obese rats (OB, n = 8) and their lean counterparts (L, n = 8). The determination of Rb levels in brain areas was performed using synchrotron radiation-based X-ray fluorescence microanalysis (SRXRF). The obtained results show a significantly higher level of Rb in all brain areas examined, although the increase in this element in obese individuals was not the same in all structures. The largest relative difference (over 70%) was observed for the orbitofrontal cortex, and the smallest (about 35%) for the amygdala. Principal component analysis with linear projections demonstrated a clear differentiation between the brain structures of obese and non-obese individuals based on the full elemental composition of tissues, while Rb was the only element that distinguished the obese group in each of the examined brain structures. The results obtained clearly confirm the increase in Rb levels in the brain structures responsible for regulating appetite in obesity.
下丘脑，尤其是其腹内侧和外侧区域，在稳态食欲调节中起着关键作用，因此是肥胖症发展过程中的一个重要脑结构。此外，肥胖症的发展可能由享乐调节不当引起，这涉及与愉悦和奖赏相关的神经回路和系统。尽管铷（Rb）通常不被认为在生命重要过程中有影响，但多项研究表明铷与肥胖症之间可能存在联系。因此，本研究旨在调查肥胖动物体内过多的体脂是否会改变直接或间接参与食欲调节的脑区中的铷水平。研究针对高热量饮食（HCD）诱导的肥胖大鼠（OB，n = 8）及其瘦的对照组（L，n = 8）进行。使用基于同步辐射的X射线荧光微分析（SRXRF）测定脑区中的铷水平。所得结果显示，在所检查的所有脑区中铷水平均显著更高，尽管肥胖个体中该元素的增加在所有结构中并不相同。眶额皮质的相对差异最大（超过70%），杏仁核的相对差异最小（约35%）。基于线性投影的主成分分析表明，根据组织的完整元素组成，肥胖个体和非肥胖个体的脑结构之间存在明显差异，而铷是在每个检查的脑结构中区分肥胖组的唯一元素。所得结果清楚地证实了肥胖症中负责调节食欲的脑结构中铷水平的增加。
