Food Intake Measurement
Objective: Measuring DAMGO-induced increases in eating behavior and food intake across different regions of the medial shell of the nucleus accumbens, and mapping the relationship between opioid-enhanced hedonic impact and food intake stimulation
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Equipment1
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Product links help support this free resource.
Protocol Steps
Functional mapping procedure setup
Establish functional mapping procedure based on microinjection Fos plumes to localize opioid substrates in the medial shell of nucleus accumbens
Note: Procedure designed to identify sites causing enhanced liking reactions and stimulating food intake
View evidence from paper
“used a functional mapping procedure based on microinjection Fos plumes to localize opioid substrates in the medial shell”
DAMGO microinjection
Perform DAMGO microinjections into different regions of the medial shell of nucleus accumbens in rats
Note: Microinjections targeted to map both hedonic impact and food intake effects across medial shell regions
View evidence from paper
“d-Ala2-N-Me-Phe4-Glycol5-enkephalin (DAMGO) microinjections in rats”
Measure affective orofacial reactions to sucrose
Map changes in affective orofacial reactions of liking/disliking elicited by sucrose taste after DAMGO microinjection
Note: Sucrose used as sweet taste stimulus to measure hedonic impact
View evidence from paper
“mapped changes in affective orofacial reactions of liking/disliking elicited by sucrose or quinine tastes after DAMGO microinjections”
Measure affective orofacial reactions to quinine
Map changes in affective orofacial reactions of liking/disliking elicited by quinine taste after DAMGO microinjection
Note: Quinine used as bitter taste stimulus for comparison
View evidence from paper
“mapped changes in affective orofacial reactions of liking/disliking elicited by sucrose or quinine tastes”
Measure food intake stimulation
Measure DAMGO-induced robust increases in eating behavior and food intake at the same microinjection sites
Note: Food intake measured across all regions of medial shell to compare with hedonic impact localization
View evidence from paper
“all regions of the medial shell generated DAMGO-induced robust increases in eating behavior and food intake”
Compare hedonic increases to food intake
Compare opioid-induced increases in sucrose hedonic impact to food intake stimulated at the same sites
Note: Analysis reveals distinction between opioid mechanisms of food intake and hedonic impact
View evidence from paper
“compared hedonic increases to food intake stimulated at the same sites”