학술논문

Food craving-like episodes during pregnancy are mediated by accumbal dopaminergic circuits
Document Type
Original Paper
Source
Nature Metabolism. 4(4):424-434
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2522-5812
Abstract
Preparation for motherhood requires a myriad of physiological and behavioural adjustments throughout gestation to provide an adequate environment for proper embryonic development1. Cravings for highly palatable foods are highly prevalent during pregnancy2 and contribute to the maintenance and development of gestational overweight or obesity3. However, the neurobiology underlying the distinct ingestive behaviours that result from craving specific foods remain unknown. Here we show that mice, similarly to humans, experience gestational food craving-like episodes. These episodes are associated with a brain connectivity reorganization that affects key components of the dopaminergic mesolimbic circuitry, which drives motivated appetitive behaviours and facilitates the perception of rewarding stimuli. Pregnancy engages a dynamic modulation of dopaminergic signalling through neurons expressing dopamine D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens, which directly modulate food craving-like events. Importantly, persistent maternal food craving-like behaviour has long-lasting effects on the offspring, particularly in males, leading to glucose intolerance, increased body weight and increased susceptibility to develop eating disorders and anxiety-like behaviours during adulthood. Our results reveal the cognitively motivated nature of pregnancy food cravings and advocates for moderating emotional eating during gestation to prevent deterioration of the offspring’s neuropsychological and metabolic health.
Haddad-Tóvolli et al. show that food craving-like episodes in pregnant mice result from a reorganization of the dopaminergic mesolimbic circuitry, and can have long-lasting negative metabolic and neuropsychological effects on the offspring.