Ingestive Behavior Research Articles

Cardiometabolic Effects of DOCA-Salt in Mice Depend on Ambient Temperature.

Mice prefer warmer environments than humans. For this reason, behavioral and physiological thermoregulatory responses are engaged by mice in response to a standard room temperature of 22 to 24 °C. Autonomic mechanisms mediating thermoregulatory responses overlap with mechanisms activated in hypertension, and, therefore, we hypothesized that housing at thermoneutral temperatures (TNs; 30 °C) would modify the cardiometabolic effects of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt in mice. The effects of DOCA-salt treatment upon ingestive behaviors, energy expenditure, blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and core temperature were assessed in C57BL/6J mice housed at room temperature or TN. Housing at TN reduced food intake, energy expenditure, blood pressure, and HR and attenuated HR responses to acute autonomic blockade by chlorisondamine. At room temperature, DOCA-salt caused expected increases in fluid intake, sodium retention in osmotically inactive pools, blood pressure, core temperature, and also caused expected decreases in fat-free mass, total body water, and HR. At TN, the effects of DOCA-salt upon fluid intake, fat gains, hydration, and core temperature were exaggerated, but effects on energy expenditure and HR were blunted. Effects of DOCA-salt upon blood pressure were similar for 3 weeks and exaggerated by TN housing in the fourth week. Ambient temperature robustly influences behavioral and physiological functions in mice, including metabolic and cardiovascular phenotype development in response to DOCA-salt treatment. Studying cardiometabolic responses of mice at optimal ambient temperatures promises to improve the translational relevance of rodent models.

Prevalence of and factors associated with the use of gender-affirming hormonal therapy outside the reference regimen among transgender people in a community-led clinic in Metro Manila, Philippines: a retrospective cross-sectional study

ObjectivesWe aimed to describe the gender-affirming hormonal therapy (GAHT) intake behaviour and regimen and the factors associated with the use of hormones inconsistent with reference GAHT regimen among transgender people...

Abstract P170: Beta-arrestin-2 Sustains Experience-dependent Plasticity Of Sodium Ingestive Behavior

Elevated sodium (Na) intake is a risk factor for hypertension. Na “appetite” is defined by the persistence of Na consumption despite adverse conditions and is commonly assessed through ingestion of aversive NaCl solutions. β-arrestins interact with many G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR), including the Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor (AT 1 R). β-arrestins play roles in many physiological processes including regulation of cardiovascular function, sensory processing, and energy metabolism. Recent work published by our group concluded that β-arrestin-2 deficient (Arrb2 KO ) mice exhibited increased ingestion of NaCl solutions even in the absence of physiological need. Thus, we hypothesize that β-arrestin-2 plays a role in experience-based Na seeking behavior and elevated NaCl consumption. To explore this question, mice were first presented with a 2-bottle choice of water and 0.15 NaCl.; then exposed to aversive 0.3 M NaCl exclusively for 24h; followed by the same 2-bottle choice as at baseline. Usually, this manipulation would yield a reduction in preference for previously preferred concentrations of NaCl, demonstrating experience-based plasticity of NaCl preference. At baseline, male Arrb2 KO mice exhibited the expected increase in preference for 0.15 M NaCl vs water (control n=14, 34±5%; Arrb2 KO n=10, 55±7%, p<0.01). Following 24h hypertonic (0.3 M) saline exposure, both groups displayed a decrease in 0.15 M NaCl solution intake and preference (days 1+2 after exposure: 10±2% vs 21±4%, p<0.01 vs baseline within each group, and p=0.15 between groups). While control mice maintained this significant suppression of preference for 0.15 M NaCl beyond one week after 24h 0.3 M NaCl exposure (e.g., days 7+8 after exposure: controls 22±3% p=0.01 vs baseline), preference of Arrb2 KO mice for 0.15 M NaCl returned to baseline levels within days (e.g., days 7+8 Arrb2 KO 45±9%, p=0.08 vs baseline, and p<0.01 vs control). This supports the idea that Arrb2 is implicated in Na ingestive behaviors, potentially influencing memory maintenance and retrieval. Future studies aim to characterize the role of Arrb2 downstream of the AT 1 R within specific brain regions in Na consummatory behaviors.

Higher frequency of fish intake and healthy lifestyle behaviors may be associated with a lower platelet count in Japan: Implication for the anti-atherosclerotic effect of fish intake

BackgroundHabitual fish intake and healthier lifestyles are associated with a lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Higher platelet counts (PLCs) are reportedly associated with higher ASCVD events. We aimed to investigate the association between fish intake and lifestyle with PLCs. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in a cohort of 9329 participants (average age: 46.9 ± 12.9 years; 58.9% men) with no history of ASCVD registered at the Health Planning Center of Nihon University Hospital in 2019. ResultsThe average fish intake frequency was 2.15 ± 1.28 days/week. As fish intake frequency increased (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days), PLC decreased significantly (p < 0.0001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that higher fish intake frequency tended to be a determinant of lower PLC. Aerobic exercise habits and sleep duration were independent negative determinants of PLC. Cigarette smoking habits were a positive independent determinant of PLC. Furthermore, with increasing fish intake frequency, the proportion of participants with habitual aerobic exercise, non-smoking habits, and longer sleep duration increased (p < 0.0001 for all). Higher n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA), calculated based on data from the Japanese National Health and Nutrition Survey, intake was associated with a lower PLC. ConclusionHigher fish intake and healthier lifestyle behaviors may be comprehensively associated with lower PLCs. The intake of N-3 PUFA with anti-inflammatory effects, rich in fish, may also be related to the lower PLC. This association may explain the preventive effects of fish intake on ASCVD risk.

Behavioural compensation of extruded urea level and the effects of supplementation presencefor finished lambs in tropical grass pastures

The objective was to investigate how different levels of soybean meal replacement with extruded urea (EU) in sheep supplementation affected pasture characteristics (Brachiaria spp.), consumption, ingestive behavior and animal performance. Sixty Texel crossbred lambs were randomly divided between treatments: 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 g of 100 kg−1 body weight (BW) EU supplement under continuous stocking in Brachiaria spp. The animals receiving a supplement in the proportion of 24 g 100 kg−1 BW from the EU had the highest pasture height (39.5 cm) as compared with other treatments. The levels of replacement of soybean meal by the EU had no effect on the supply of forage, forage accumulation rate or structural characteristics. The forage dry matter intake (DMI) as percentage of BW and metabolic BW were adjusted to quadratic equations, and the minimum levels of DMI in relation to BW (1.5 %) and metabolic (55.6 g DM/kg0.75) were estimated at 10 g and 9.4 g 100 kg−1 BW of the EU, respectively. The grazing time of the lambs decreased linearly (P = 0.006) by 4.88 min for each increase in the EU level. In contrast, as EU levels in lamb supplementation increased, the time taken to consume the supplement and the bite rate increased by 4.38 min and 0.28 bites/minutes, respectively. The average daily gain increased linearly up to 18 g 100 kg−1 BW (146 g/day) (P = 0.034). For lambs finishing in Brachiaria spp., the EU can be used in place of soybean meal up to 18 g 100 kg-1 BW without altering animal performance, consumption, or the structural characteristics of the pasture.

Weight Regain and Ingestive Behavior in Women after Metabolic Surgery.

This study investigated associations between maladaptive ingestive behaviors and weight regain in women who underwent metabolic surgery 2-10 years ago. Using a web-based survey, we assessed emotional, external, and restrained eating (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire-DEBQ), food cravings (Food-Craving Inventory-FCI), and other behaviors (e.g., Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-EDE-Q; Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Concise-AUDIT-C) in 36 women (42.9 ± 9.5 years old) post-surgery. We found that weight regain was specifically associated with increased frequency of cravings for sweets (r = 0.43), higher global scores in the EDE-Q (r = 0.38), and time elapsed since surgery (r = 0.35; all p's < 0.04). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the association between weight regain and sweet cravings interacted with time after surgery (p = 0.04), with the strongest association observed in women assessed closer to the surgery (i.e., 2.0-2.8 years). The combination of time after surgery and its interaction with sweet cravings accounted for 31% of the individual variations in weight regain (p = 0.005). Notably, among participants who reported alcohol consumption (31 of 36), 55% had an AUDIT-C score indicating hazardous drinking. These findings highlight the relevance of attending to patients' reports of frequent sweet cravings and screening for alcohol use to enhance strategies tailored to prevent weight regain and alcohol-related health problems post-surgery.

Modeling the effect of fish migration on the horizontal distribution of microplastics in freshwater and ecological risks in the food web: Influence of habitat

Microplastics (MPs < 5 mm) pollution is a widespread phenomenon in freshwater ecosystems. While the role of physiochemical factors in the migration and distribution of MPs is understood, the impact of biological migration remains less clear. The influence of nekton migration determined by habitat suitability on the distribution of MPs and the consequent ecological risks to the regional food web is investigated in the freshwater environment by using Baiyangdian Lake (China) as a case study. The key findings reveal that fish migration significantly alters the horizontal distribution of MPs in the water environment, with a higher degree of fish aggregation in high suitability habitats leading to an increased presence of MPs due to their ingestion and excretion behaviors. In both high and low suitability habitats, MPs are found to bioconcentrate in fish, suggesting a significant risk to aquatic ecosystems. Despite the lack of evidence supporting MPs biomagnification, the results indicate that MPs are more likely to be biomagnified within the food web of high suitability habitats due to the enhanced foraging capabilities of aquatic organisms. These findings highlight the critical need to consider biological factors, such as nekton migration, in understanding and addressing MPs pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

Development and evaluation study of FLY-Kids: a new lifestyle screening tool for young children

Evaluating, discussing, and advising on young children’s lifestyles may contribute to timely modification of unhealthy behaviour and prevention of adverse health consequences. We aimed to develop and evaluate a new lifestyle screening tool for children aged 1–3 years. The lifestyle screening tool “FLY-Kids” was developed using data from lifestyle behaviour patterns of Dutch toddlers, age-specific lifestyle recommendations, target group analyses, and a Delphi process. Through 10 items, FLY-Kids generates a dashboard with an overview of the child’s lifestyle that can be used as conversation aid. FLY-Kids was completed by parents of children aged 1–3 years attending a regular youth healthcare appointment. Youth healthcare professionals (YHCP) then used the FLY-Kids dashboard to discuss lifestyle with the parents and provided tailored advice. Parents as well as YHCP evaluated the tool after use. Descriptive and correlation statistics were used to determine the usability, feasibility, and preliminary effect of FLY-Kids. Parents (N = 201) scored an average of 3.2 (out of 9, SD 1.6) unfavourable lifestyle behaviours in their children, while 3.0% complied with all recommendations. Most unfavourable behaviours were reported in unhealthy food intake and electronic screen time behaviour. Parents and YHCP regarded FLY-Kids as usable and feasible. The number of items identified by FLY-Kids as requiring attention was associated with the number of items discussed during the appointment (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). Conclusion: FLY-Kids can be used to identify unhealthy lifestyle behaviour in young children and guide the conversation about lifestyle in preventive healthcare settings. End-users rated FLY-Kids as helpful and user-friendly.What is Known:• A healthy lifestyle is important for optimal growth, development and overall health of young children (1-3 years).• Evaluating, discussing and advising on young children’s lifestyles may contribute to timely modification of unhealthy behaviour and prevention of adverse health consequences.What is New:• The new lifestyle screening tool FLY-Kids generates a dashboard with an overview of young children’s lifestyle that can be used as conversation aid between parents and youth healthcare professionals.• As parents and youth healthcare professionals rated FLY-Kids as helpful and user-friendly, and the number of items identified by FLY-Kids as requiring attention was associated with the number of items discussed during the appointment, FLY-Kids can be considered guiding the lifestyle discussion in preventive healthcare settings.

Weight Status, Dietary Intake, and Mealtime Behaviour Among Autism Spectrum Disorder Children in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Introduction: Nutrition is one of the important contributors to the well-being of children with disability. Given the various data on the nutritional status of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children, it is imperative to conduct a detailed nutritional assessment of the local population. This study compares ASD with typical developing (TD) children to determine the weight status and association of mealtime behavior with dietary intake in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Methods: A total of 106 children aged five to nine years old participated in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic were assessed through self-administered questionnaires. The body weight and height were collected; the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. A three-day food record and a Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) data were obtained from the caretakers. Results: More than one-third (39%) of the ASD children were overweight or obese compared to TD children (23%). However, there is a significant difference (X2=10.29, p=0.03) when TD children were categorized as stunted and severely stunted. Meanwhile, the total energy intake was statistically significant (X2=9.53, p=0.008). The majority (88.2%) of ASD children experience problems in mealtime behavior characteristically limited food acceptance with a mean score of (28.78±6.80). Mealtime behavior was not associated with energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat when the p&gt;0.05. Conclusion: Even though there was no association of mealtime behavior with dietary intake, the BMI was significantly influenced by excessive daily calorie consumption. Because of growth parameters influence physical development, nutritional intervention program should be carried out in order to improve nutritional status of AS children.

A basic healthy food basket approach to evaluate the affordability of healthy eating in South Africa and Kenya

IntroductionUnderstanding the affordability of healthy eating has always been a critical question but has escalated in importance considering the global context of more recent soaring food prices and the worsening of food and nutrition security indicators since the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost and affordability of basic healthy eating in South Africa and Kenya, through the application of a Basic Healthy Food Basket (BHFB) modeling framework applied within the food intake and nutritional context of the target countries.MethodsThe construction of the BHFB models was based on a number of key considerations (i.e., ‘building blocks’): household demographic (size and composition), socio-economically disaggregated household income levels, minimum wage data, typical food intake patterns, nationally monitored food retail prices and official country-specific nutrient intake and food consumption guidelines. For both countries BHFB’s were compiled and interpreted at a national level, as well as for a ‘more plant-based’ BHFB. The nutritional adequacy of the national BHFB’s was evaluated.ResultsBased on national demographical statistics in Kenya and South Africa, the reference family was defined as a four-member reference household consisting of 2 adults and 2 children. The detailed composition of the national BHFB’s is presented, consisting of 31 food items in Kenya and 24 food items in South Africa – covering all the food groups according to nutritional guidelines. The nutritional adequacy of the various BHFB’s is discussed and were generally deemed adequate for the majority of micro-nutrients – particularly the micro-nutrients of concern in the various countries. In January 2023 the cost of the national BHFB in Kenya and South Africa amounted to KSh33 800 (US$270) and R4 715 (US$ 262) respectively, − potentially excluding approximately 60% of the population from being able to afford a basic healthy food basket. A movement to ‘more plant-based’ BHFB’s (i.e., proportionally less meat/fish/eggs and proportionally more legumes) reduced the cost of the BHFB’s with 15% in Kenya and in South Africa. From a social support perspective, the analyses indicated that social support in the form of child support grants and children benefiting from school feeding programmes could result in the share of households able to afford basic healthy eating to increase by approximately 10 percentage points in the South African context.Conclusions and recommendationsThe study showed that the high (and rising) cost of basic healthy eating prevents large numbers of households in South Africa and Kenya from being able to afford basic healthy eating when considering current income distribution data. The research outcomes of the BHFB methodology applied in this study to monitor and evaluate the cost and affordability of basic healthy eating, should be monitored regularly and taken into consideration to inform food and nutrition policy decisions and actions. However, from a methodological perspective several critical challenges will have to be addressed to improve the measurement accuracy of the BHFB models, including the availability of official food retail price monitoring of a wider range of food items; household demographics, household income data, food intake data and household-level food expenditure data that are more frequently updated, as well as socio-economically and geographically disaggregated data on typical food intake behavior. From the perspective of plant versus animal protein sources, the study suggested that food intake patterns with an increased focus on legumes as a source of plant-based protein could help to improve the affordability of basic healthy eating. However, it is also important to consider consumer acceptability in this context from various perspectives, including sensory acceptability, cultural acceptability, and the available time for food preparation. The study identified the critical need to evaluate the cost of basic healthy eating on a geographically more refined level. This is based on the diversity of food intake behavior in different regions within the target countries as pointed out by in-country experts. However, future research to develop an improved understanding of food intake pattern in different regions/provinces/counties will be a critical enabler, along with geographically disaggregated food retail price data and demographical information.

Emotional Education as Coping Strategy for Exhaustion and Dysfunctional Eating Habits

Work shifts affect eating habits, social relationships in the workplace, and, more broadly, the physical and mental health of health professionals. The aim of this research was to differentiate BMI, eating behavior, and burnout between shift and non-shift nurses. The study involved 194 nurses (63% of whom work shifts and 37% of whom do not) who completed sociodemographic questionnaires, eating behavior questionnaires, and an exhaustion inventory (Maslach Burnout Inventory). The results showed that shift nurses were twice as likely to skip meals and obtained higher exhaustion scores. In conclusion, the need to establish prevention plans to promote adequate food intake and healthier eating behaviors among health professionals, while promoting specialized training in emotional education in order to prevent mental health problems, is emphasized.

A promising resilience parameter for breeding: the use of weight and feed trajectories in growing pigs

BackgroundIncreasing resilience is a priority in modern pig breeding. Recent research shows that general resilience can be quantified via variability in longitudinal data. The collection of such longitudinal data on weight, feed intake and feeding behaviour in pigs has been facilitated by the development of technologies such as automated feeding stations.The goal of this study was to investigate resilience traits, which were estimated as deviations from longitudinal weight, feed intake and feeding behaviour data during the finishing phase. A dataset with 324,207 records between the age of 95 and 155 days on 5,939 Piétrain pigs with known pedigree and genomic information was used. We provided guidelines for a rigid quality control of longitudinal body weight data, as we found that outliers can significantly affect results. Gompertz growth curve analysis, linear modelling and trajectory analyses were used for quantifying resilience traits.ResultsTo our knowledge, this is the first study comparing resilience traits from longitudinal body weight, feed intake and feeding behaviour data in pigs. We demonstrated that the resilience traits are lowly to moderately heritable for deviations in body weight (h2 = 2.9%–20.2%), in feed intake (9.4%–23.3%) and in feeding behaviour (16.2%–28.3%). Additionally, these traits have good predictive abilities in cross-validation analyses. Deviations in individual body weight and feed intake trajectories are highly correlated (rg = 0.78) with low to moderate favourable genetic correlations with feed conversion ratio (rg = 0.39–0.49). Lastly, we showed that some resilience traits, such as the natural logarithm of variances of observed versus predicted body weights (lnvarweight), are more robust to lower observation frequencies and are repeatable over three different time periods of the finishing phase.ConclusionsOur results will help future studies investigating resilience traits and resilience-related traits. Moreover, our study provides first results on standardization of quality control and efficient data sampling from automated feeding station data. Our findings will be valuable for breeding organizations as they offer evidence that pigs’ general resilience can be selected on with good accuracy. Moreover, this methodology might be extended to other species to quantify resilience based on longitudinal data.

Influence of irrigation and supplementation on performance and ingestive behavior of beef cattle on mixed grass pastures

Influence of irrigation and supplementation on performance and ingestive behavior of beef cattle on mixed grass pastures

Rejection thresholds for sweetness reduction in a model drink predict dietary sugar intake

Links between individual sweetness perception and sugar intake have been previously explored, with highly contrasting results. The current study aims to test individual-based rejection thresholds (RjTs) to ascending and descending sucrose concentrations in a model drink, and to evaluate potential links between these measures and sugar intake behaviour in real life. Sixty-three participants (final N = 43 [f = 29]; 20 ± 5 years) each undertook three sensory testing sessions and completed a 4-day weighed food records. Each individual was tested for their Sweet Liker status, detection thresholds to sucrose, RjTs to 5 descending and 5 ascending sucrose concentrations in an orange-flavoured drink, as well as sugar intake in daily diet and from sweetened beverages. The results demonstrate that RjTs can be estimated an individual level. With each participant completing 4 replications of the RjT task, data from over 88% of participants produced a reasonable individual-based psychometric function. Intriguingly, descending, but not ascending, RjTs were positively correlated with sweet liking (r = 0.43, p < 0.01), and acted as a significant predictor of both overall dietary sugar intakes (R2 = 0.10, F(4,38) = 2.23, p = 0.050) and sugar intakes from sweetened beverages (R2 = 0.21, F(4,38) = 3.73, p = 0.012). While sweet likers (SL) and dislikers (SD) had comparable ascending RjTs (acceptance for sugar addition), they differed substantially in terms of descending RjTs (p = 0.002; acceptance for sugar reduction), with SL rejecting samples having > 47% sugar reduction (47 g/L), whereas SD rejecting samples with > 68% reduction (28 g/L). Overall, these findings suggest that descending RjTs is a useful measure for detecting a sensory-diet relationship, and should be considered to better inform sugar reduction targets and facilitate policies on product reformulation.

The relationship between feed efficiency and behaviour differs between lactating Holstein and Jersey cows.

In dairy production, high feed efficiency (FE) is important to reduce feed costs and negative impacts of milk production on the climate and environment, yet little is known about the relationship between FE, eating behaviour and activity. This research communication describes how cows differing in FE, expressed as daily energy corrected milk production per unit of feed intake, differed in eating behaviour and activity. We used data from a study of 253 lactations obtained from 97 Holstein and 91 Jersey cows milked in an automatic milking system. Automated feed troughs recorded feed intake behaviour and cows wore a sensor that recorded activity from 5 to 200 d in milk (DIM). We used a mixed linear model to estimate random solutions for individual cows for traits of steps, lying and eating behaviour and calculated their correlation with FE during four periods (5-35, 36-75, 76-120 and 121-200 DIM). Separate analyses were performed for each breed and period. We found that individual level correlations between FE and behaviour traits were stronger in Jersey than in Holstein cows. Eating rate correlated weakly negatively to FE in Holstein cows and more strongly so in Jersey cows, such that efficient Jerseys were slower eaters. The physical activity of Jersey cows was weakly and negatively correlated to FE, but this was not the case in Holstein cows. We conclude that eating rate was consistently negatively associated with FE throughout lactation for Jersey cows, but not for Holstein cows.

Amylin Modulates a Ventral Tegmental Area–to–Medial Prefrontal Cortex Circuit to Suppress Food Intake and Impulsive Food-Directed Behavior

BackgroundA better understanding of the neural mechanisms regulating impaired satiety to palatable foods is essential to treat hyperphagia linked with obesity. The satiation hormone amylin signals centrally at multiple nuclei including the ventral tegmental area (VTA). VTA–to–medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) projections encode food reward information to influence behaviors including impulsivity. We hypothesized that modulation of VTA-to-mPFC neurons underlies amylin-mediated decreases in palatable food-motivated behaviors. MethodsWe used a variety of pharmacological, behavioral, genetic, and viral approaches (n = 4–16/experiment) to investigate the anatomical and functional circuitry of amylin-controlled VTA-to-mPFC signaling in rats. ResultsTo first establish that VTA amylin receptor (calcitonin receptor) activation can modulate mPFC activity, we showed that intra-VTA amylin decreased food-evoked mPFC cFos. VTA amylin delivery also attenuated food-directed impulsive behavior, implicating VTA amylin signaling as a regulator of mPFC functions. Palatable food activates VTA dopamine and mPFC neurons. Accordingly, dopamine receptor agonism in the mPFC blocked the hypophagic effect of intra-VTA amylin, and VTA amylin injection reduced food-evoked phasic dopamine levels in the mPFC, supporting the idea that VTA calcitonin receptor activation decreases dopamine release in the mPFC. Surprisingly, calcitonin receptor expression was not found on VTA-to-mPFC projecting neurons but was instead found on GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) interneurons in the VTA that provide monosynaptic inputs to this pathway. Blocking intra-VTA GABA signaling, through GABA receptor antagonists and DREADD (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs)–mediated GABAergic neuronal silencing, attenuated intra-VTA amylin-induced hypophagia. ConclusionsThese results indicate that VTA amylin signaling stimulates GABA-mediated inhibition of dopaminergic projections to the mPFC to mitigate impulsive consumption of palatable foods.

The FAAH inhibitor URB597 reduces cocaine intake during conditioned punishment and mitigates cocaine seeking during withdrawal

The endocannabinoid system is prominently implicated in the control of cocaine reinforcement due to its relevant role in synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter modulation in the mesocorticolimbic system. The inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), and the resulting increase in anandamide and other N-acylethanolamines, represents a promising strategy for reducing drug seeking. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effects of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 (1 mg/kg) on crucial features of cocaine addictive-like behaviour in mice. Therefore, we tested the effects of URB597 on acquisition of cocaine (0.6 mg/kg/inf) self-administration, compulsive-like cocaine intake and cue-induced drug-seeking behaviour during withdrawal. URB597 reduced cocaine intake under conditioned punishment while having no impact on acquisition. This result was associated to increased cannabinoid receptor 1 gene expression in the ventral striatum and medium spiny neurons activation in the nucleus accumbens shell. Moreover, URB597 mitigated cue-induced drug-seeking behaviour during prolonged abstinence and prevented the withdrawal-induced increase in FAAH gene expression in the ventral striatum. In this case, URB597 decreased activation of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core. Our findings evidence the prominent role of endocannabinoids in the development of cocaine addictive-like behaviours and support the potential of FAAH inhibition as a therapeutical target for the treatment of cocaine addiction.

Leptin, but not ghrelin, is associated with food addiction scores in a population-based subject sample.

Ghrelin and leptin are both peptide hormones and act as opposing players in the regulation of hunger, satiety and energy expenditure. Leptin reduces appetite and feelings of hunger and is secreted mainly by adipocytes, while ghrelin increases appetite and food intake and reduces metabolic rate. Both hormones have been implicated in addictive disorders. Ghrelin was shown to have pro-addictive effects while leptin's role in addiction yields more conflicting results. Their involvement in the regulation of both food intake and addictive behaviors make them interesting candidates when investigating the regulation of food addiction. However, only few human studies have been performed and large-scale studies are lacking to date. We aimed to investigate the association between total ghrelin and leptin serum levels with scores in the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). Subjects were recruited in the LIFE Adult cohort. 909 subjects were included in the analysis and we performed univariate multiple linear regression models, adjusted for age, sex (in total group analyses only), alcohol consumption, smoking status, BMI scores, cortisol concentrations, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) sum scores. The dependent variable was the YFAS score. In men, leptin serum levels showed a significant positive association (standardized β = 0.146; p = 0.012) with the YFAS score. This finding was confirmed in an extreme-group comparison: men in the highest quartile of leptin levels had significantly higher YFAS sum scores than men in the lowest quartile (1.55 vs. 1.18; p = 0.00014). There was no association with YFAS sum score in the total group (standardized β = -0.002; p = 0.974) or in women (standardized β = -0.034; p = 0.674). Total serum ghrelin showed no association with YFAS sum score neither in the total group (standardized β = -0.043; p = 0.196) nor in men (n = 530; standardized β = -0.063; p = 0.135) or women (n = 379; standardized β = -0.035; p = 0.494). Our findings are in line with previous literature and suggest that total ghrelin serum levels are not associated with food addiction scores. Leptin had been previously shown to be associated with food addiction and we confirmed this finding for men in a large, population-based approach.

Identification of the drivers of and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine intake behavior using a mixed-method design: implications from a developing country

Various COVID-19 vaccines are available across the world. However, short phases of clinical trials for emergency use and myriad rumors about and misinformation on vaccines spread through different media sources, induce confusion and trigger vaccine hesitancy behavior. Although clinical trials demonstrated promising results in the ability of vaccines to protect, social endeavor is required for vaccines to succeed. Mitigation of the pandemic is only possible through widespread acceptance of the vaccine. Thus, identifying the factors that impact vaccine intake is crucial. This study determined factors that affect intentions toward vaccination using a mixed-method approach, in which qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted together. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used in the quantitative study, and content analysis is employed in the qualitative study. The final sample of this mixed-method study consists of 568 participants for the quantitative study and 237 for the qualitative study. They were selected using an online questionnaire. Findings suggest that social, psychological, attitudinal, perceptual, and informational factors play a crucial role in shaping people's intentions toward vaccines, ultimately influencing their decision to accept or reject vaccination. Results of both the qualitative and quantitative studies, in parallel with each other, indicated similar barriers against and drivers toward vaccine intake behavior, providing strong insights into the reasons behind vaccine acceptance and hesitancy. Based on the insights gained in this study, a set of recommendations were compiled for policymakers.

Quantitative Analysis of Caffeine in different commercial kinds of coffee in Iraq

Caffeine is a widely consumed pharmacologically active substance around the world, Caffeine is a purine alkaloid derived from methylxanthine that is readily permeable through the blood-brain barrier and stimulates the adenosine receptors in the brain leading to its central nervous system stimulant activity. Most people regulate their caffeine consumption in accordance with the objective and subjective effects produced from the methylxanthine, However, individual response to caffeine varies greatly from person to person due to the variation in metabolism, age, sex, hormones, clearance, weight, genes, medicine intake and smoking behavior, therefore the amount of caffeine required to achieve the desired effect also varies greatlyand Since that the coffee beans are the world's primary sources of dietary caffeine this study was designed to determine the percent of the caffeine in different commercial coffee brands, the isolated caffeine was identified by different qualitative methods like TLC, and FTIR.