Department of Psychology

Neuroanatomical Mapping Studies of Opioid-induced Feeding

Opioid peptides, opioid analogues and opiate drugs directed against the mu, kappa, delta and ORL-1 receptors are all capable of eliciting strong feeding responses following systemic, ventricular and intracerebral administration. A large number of brain sites, including the paraventricular, ventromedial and lateral hypothalamic nuclei, the amygdala, the nucleus accumbens, the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus tractus solitarius, are capable of eliciting strong feeding responses following local administration of opioid agonists. Our laboratory has pharmacologically characterized feeding in some of these sites, most specifically the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus by evaluating different opioid receptor subtype agonists and their sensitivity to specific opioid receptor subtype antagonists. We have also examined opioid receptor subtype antagonists applied to specific sites in mediating feeding under spontaneous, deprivation, glucoprivic and hedonic conditions. Further, we have examined the relationship between opioid and other (e.g., GABA, dopamine) transmitter systems in eliciting feeding from the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens to understand the distributed brain network mediating this important homeostatic response.

Opioid Mapping of Feeding Publications of the Bodnar Laboratory:

Bodnar, RJ. Endogenous opioid modulation of food intake and body weight: implications for opioid influences upon motivation and addiction. Peptides 116: 42-62, 2019.

Bodnar, RJ. Endogenous opioids and feeding behavior: a decade of further progress (2004-2014). A Festschrift to Dr. Abba Kastin. Peptides 72: 20-33, 2015.

Miner P, L Shimonova, A Khaimov, Y Borukhova, E Ilyayeva, R Ranaldi and RJ Bodnar. General, kappa, delta and mu opioid receptors mediate feeding elicited by the GABA-B agonist baclofen in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens shell in rats: reciprocal and regional interactions. Brain Res 1443: 34-51, 2012.

Miner P, Y Borukhova, B Sheridan, L Shimonova, A Khaimov, A Cazzorla, L Rothman and RJ Bodnar. GABA-A and GABA-B receptors mediate feeding elicited by the GABA-B agonist baclofen in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens shell in rats: reciprocal and regional interactions. Brain Res 1355: 86-96, 2010.

Hadjimarkou, MM, C Abbadie, L Kasselman, YX Pan, GW Pasternak and RJ Bodnar. Changes in mMOR-1C-like immunoreactivity following food restriction and food deprivation in rats. Synapse 63: 585-597, 2009.

Kandov, Y, Y Israel, A Kest, I Dostova, J Verasammy, SY Bernal, LJ Kasselman and RJ Bodnar. GABA receptor subtype antagonists in the nucleus accumbens shell and ventral tegmental area differentially alter feeding responses to deprivation, glucoprivation and lipoprivation in rats. Brain Res. 1082: 86-97, 2006.

Bodnar, RJ, N Lamonte, Y Israel, Y Kandov, TF Ackerman and E Khaimova. Reciprocal opioid-opioid interactions between the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens regions in mediating mu agonist-induced feeding in rats. Peptides 26: 621-629, 2005.

Khaimova, E, Y Kandov, Y Israel, G Cataldo, MM Hadjimarkou and RJ Bodnar. Opioid receptor subtype antagonists differentially alter GABA agonist-induced feeding elicited from either the nucleus accumbens shell or ventral tegmental area region in rats. Brain Res. 1026: 284-294, 2004.

Grossman, HC, MM Hadjimarkou, RM Silva, SQ Giraudo and RJ Bodnar. Interrelationships between mu opioid and melanocortin receptors in mediating food intake in rats. Brain Res. 991: 240-244, 2003.

Ackerman, TF, N Lamonte and RJ Bodnar. Lack of inter-site GABA receptor subtype antagonist effects upon mu-opioid receptor agonist-induced feeding elicited from either the ventral tegmental area or nucleus accumbens shell in rats. Physiol. Behav. 79: 191-198, 2003.

Bodnar, RJ, MM Hadjimarkou, EK Krzanowska, RM Silva and JA Stein. Differential dose-dependent effects of central morphine treatment upon food intake in male and female rats receiving neonatal hormone manipulations. Nutritional Neurosci. 6: 53-57, 2003.

Echo, JA, N Lamonte, TF Ackerman and RJ Bodnar. Alterations in food intake elicited by GABA and opioid agonists and antagonists administered into the ventral tegmental area of rats. Physiol. Behav. 76: 107-116, 2002.

Lamonte, N, JA Echo, TF Ackerman, G Christian and RJ Bodnar. Analysis of opioid receptor subtype antagonist effects upon mu opioid agonist-induced feeding elicited from the ventral tegmental area of rats. Brain Res. 929: 96-100, 2002.

Echo, JA, N Lamonte, G Christian, V Znamensky, TF Ackerman and RJ Bodnar. Excitatory amino acid receptor subtype agonists induce feeding in the nucleus accumbens shell in rats: opioid antagonisat actions and interactions with mu opioid agonists. Brain Res. 921: 86-97, 2001.

Znamensky, V, JA Echo, N Lamonte, G Christian, A Ragnauth and RJ Bodnar. GABA receptor subtype antagonists differentially alter opioid-induced feeding in the shell region of the nucleus accumbens in rats. Brain Res. 906: 84-91, 2001.

Ragnauth, A, V Znamensky, M Moroz and RJ Bodnar. Analysis of dopamine receptor antagonism upon feeding elicited by mu and delta opioid agonists in the shell region of the nucleus accumbens. Brain Res. 877: 65-72, 2000.

Ragnauth, A, M Moroz and RJ Bodnar. Multiple opioid receptors mediate feeding elicited by mu and delta opioid receptor subtype agonists in the nucleus accumbens shell in rats. Brain Res. 876: 76-87, 2000.

Ragnauth, A, H Ruegg and RJ Bodnar. Evaluation of opioid receptor subtype antagonist effects in the ventral tegmental area upon food intake under deprivation, glucoprivic and palatable conditions. Brain Res. 767: 8-16, 1997.

Bodnar, RJ, MJ Glass, A Ragnauth and ML Cooper. General, mu and kappa opioid antagonists in the nucleus accumbens alter food intake under deprivation, glucoprivic and palatable conditions. Brain Res. 700: 205-212, 1995.

Koch, JE, MJ Glass, ML Cooper and RJ Bodnar. Alterations in deprivation, glucoprivic and sucrose intake following general, mu and kappa opioid antagonists in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of rats. Neuroscience 66: 951-957, 1995.