# Physiological mechanisms underlying alterations in diet preference

> **NIH NIH SC2** · CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH · 2022 · $147,393

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Obesity is a key risk factor for chronic health complications including hypertension and Type II
diabetes. Alternate day fasting (ADF) which involve cycles of feeding and fasting have been
effective for weight loss and improving metabolic measures in humans and rats. We have
recently reported that rats presented both standard chow and a high energy (HE) diet show
almost exclusive intake of the HE diet. Yet, rats on an ADF paradigm show decreased HE diet
preference driven by increased chow intake. Meal pattern analyses that provide parameters such
as meal size and number, reveal differences in male and female rats on an ADF schedule. Meal
pattern parameters are driven by physiological signals that drive intake (e.g. orosensory
stimulation and meal initiation) and terminate intake (e.g. satiety). Here, male and female ADF
and control rats will be compared to investigate the role of 1) taste signaling and 2) gut peptide
influences, in ADF-induced shifts in diet preference. Using cFos immunohistochemistry,
activation of brain areas in central gustatory pathways associated with taste identification and
reward will be compared between the groups (Experiment 1). These experiments are designed to
test the hypothesis that rats on ADF and control feeding schedules show similar activation of
brain regions involved in taste identification but that ADF rats show decreased neural activation
of taste pathways involved in reward. Another cohort of male and female ADF and control rats
will be used (Experiment 2) to investigate the role of gut peptides shown to be involved in satiety
(CCK) and both satiety and reward (GLP-1). Groups will be administered agonists and
antagonists of CCK and GLP-1 receptors to test the hypothesis that shifts in diet preference
induced by an ADF schedule, reduces gut signals related to reward but not satiety. The
experiments are designed to assess how meal pattern parameters are altered with feeding
schedule and gut peptide administration. The findings from the proposed experiments will
provide information about how neural mechanisms related to taste and gut signaling drive
changes in diet preference.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10397643
- **Project number:** 5SC2GM140913-02
- **Recipient organization:** CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH
- **Principal Investigator:** Yada Treesukosol
- **Activity code:** SC2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $147,393
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10397643

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10397643, Physiological mechanisms underlying alterations in diet preference (5SC2GM140913-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10397643. Licensed CC0.

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