# Functional mapping of thirst circuits in the aging mouse brain

> **NIH NIH F32** · BUCK INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON AGING · 2021 · $68,562

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT
Fluid homeostasis, the maintenance of volume and osmolality in blood and interstitial fluid, is essential for life.
Aging involves breakdown of fluid homeostasis, and is often accompanied by reduced thirst and drinking
behavior. As a result, dehydration is one of the major health risks in older individuals, exposing them to higher
risk for developing diabetes mellitus, heart or kidney failure, or reduced or loss of consciousness, and thereby
greatly increasing their mortality. However, the mechanism by which thirst and drinking behavior changes with
advancing age is very poorly understood. Fluid homeostasis is primarily regulated by a structure in
hypothalamus called the subfornical organ (SFO), which monitors the state of fluid balance via direct access to
systemic circulation. Recently, a specific population of neurons within the SFO was shown to be both
necessary and sufficient for regulating drinking behavior. Here I propose to systematically investigate how the
thirst circuit changes with aging, using fiber photometry and optogenetic techniques in awake behaving mice.
Understanding how the function of the thirst circuit changes with age will expand our ability to develop
interventions and treatment for fluid imbalance and related illnesses in the elderly.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10135664
- **Project number:** 5F32AG063488-02
- **Recipient organization:** BUCK INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON AGING
- **Principal Investigator:** Heeun Jang
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $68,562
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-02-01 → 2022-03-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10135664

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10135664, Functional mapping of thirst circuits in the aging mouse brain (5F32AG063488-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10135664. Licensed CC0.

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