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Mesolimbic exendin-4 attenuates reward salience evoked by neuropeptide Y and ghrelin.
Behav Brain Res · 2023
Last updated 2026-05-28In a study on rats, a GLP-1 drug called exendin-4 (Ex-4) reduced the effects of two appetite-stimulating hormones, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ghrelin, on reward-seeking behavior. When given alone, NPY and ghrelin increased the rats' interest in sugary food and alcohol, but Ex-4 lowered that interest and weakened the hormones' effects. The research suggests these brain systems interact to influence reward responses.
AI summary of the abstract below.
| Journal | Behav Brain Res, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Citations | 8 |
| Relative citation ratio | 1.13 |
| NIH percentile | 55 |
| Molecules | — |
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated the effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist exendin-4 (Ex-4) on the stimulatory action of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ghrelin. These effects were examined in relation to operant responding for palatable food or voluntary ethanol intake in a two-bottle limited access paradigm. Male Sprague Dawley rats, each with ventral tegmental area (VTA) unilateral guide cannulae, were used. Ex-4 was paired with either NPY, ghrelin, or combined NPY and ghrelin treatment. Our results indicated that while NPY and ghrelin reliably stimulated operant responding for sucrose pellets and increased ethanol intake, Ex-4 suppressed intake and, most importantly, significantly reduced the effects of NPY and ghrelin. Overall, this work provides compelling evidence that VTA GLP-1, NPY, and ghrelin systems interact within the brain to modulate reward salience.
Verbatim abstract via PubMed 36496077 ↗