Food and Behaviour Research

Donate Log In
Advanced Search

Children’s Food and Mood: What Works, What Matters - BOOK HERE

Sucrose intake lowers μ-opioid and dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in porcine brain

Winterdahl M, Noer O, Orlowski D, Schacht AC, Jakobsen S, Alstrup AKO, Gjedde A, Landau AM (2019) Sci Rep.  2019 Nov;9(1): 16918. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53430-9 

Web URL: Read this and related abstracts on PubMed here

Excessive sucrose consumption elicits addiction-like craving that may underpin the obesity epidemic. Opioids and dopamine mediate the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, and of natural rewards from stimuli such as palatable food. We investigated the effects of sucrose using PET imaging with [11C]carfentanil (μ-opioid receptor agonist) and [11C]raclopride (dopamine D2/3 receptor antagonist) in seven female anesthetized Göttingen minipigs. We then gave minipigs access to sucrose solution for one hour on 12 consecutive days and performed imaging again 24 hours after the final sucrose access. In a smaller sample of five minipigs, we performed an additional [11C]carfentanil PET session after the first sucrose exposure. We calculated voxel-wise binding potentials (BPND) using the cerebellum as a region of non-displaceable binding, analyzed differences with statistical non-parametric mapping, and performed a regional analysis. After 12 days of sucrose access, BPND of both tracers had declined significantly in striatum, nucleus accumbens, thalamus, amygdala, cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex, consistent with down-regulation of receptor densities. After a single exposure to sucrose, we found decreased binding of [11C]carfentanil in nucleus accumbens and cingulate cortex, consistent with opioid release. The lower availability of opioid and dopamine receptors may explain the addictive potential associated with intake of sucrose.

FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:

See the associated news article:

Food and Behaviour Research is a registered charity (No SC034604) and a company limited by guarantee (Co No SC 253448)

Newsletter Signup

Sign up here to receive our free newletters.

Useful Links

Contact Us

FAB Research 
23 Carlton Road
Oxford
OX2 7SA

Important Notice

Medical opinion and guidance should always be sought for any symptoms that might possibly reflect a known or suspected disease, disorder or medical condition. Information provided on this website (or by FAB Research via any other means) does not in any way constitute advice on the treatment of any medical condition formally diagnosed or otherwise.

Site by Redstone Websites. Easy to Use Web Content Management. 2024 © All Rights Reserved.