The Role of Endogenous Opioid System in Food Addiction

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropharmacology and Neuropathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 2320

Special Issue Editors

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
Interests: neuropeptides; drug and natural reward; pain; addiction; psychostimulants and other addictive drugs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
Interests: neuropharmacology; drug addiction; major depressive disorder; chronic pain; neuroinflammation; nicotinic receptor
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Endogenous opioids have been implicated in feeding, but the role of each opioid peptide and receptor is less clear in this regard. In particular, the role of the endogenous opioid system in the hedonic aspect of feeding and food addiction is not fully characterized. This Special Issue aims to publish breakthrough findings encompassing the role of the endogenous opioid system in the homeostatic and hedonic aspects of feeding, as well as in glucose and energy homeostasis, how palatable foods affect the level of opioid peptides and their receptors, the role of neuroanatomical site(s) of regulatory actions of opioids in the brain in the homeostatic and hedonic aspects of feeding, and where, in brain regions, palatable foods alter the levels of opioid peptides and their receptors.

We welcome research papers and review articles addressing the following themes:

  • Determining the role of endogenous opioid peptide(s) or opioid receptor(s) in the hedonic aspect of feeding.
  • Assessing the role of different brain regions or brain circuits in the regulatory actions of opioids in the hedonic aspects of feeding using pharmacological, chemogenetic, or optogenetic approaches.
  • Describing the role of the endogenous opioid system in sex-related differences in the hedonic aspect of feeding.
  • Investigating the impact of palatable foods on the endogenous opioid system in the central nervous system, i.e., whether there are changes in the levels of opioid peptides and opioid receptors following short-term or long-term palatable food administration.
  • The role of the endogenous opioid system in the withdrawal from palatable foods and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anhedonia, depression, and anxiety.

Prof. Dr. Kabirullah Lutfy
Prof. Dr. Shafiqur Rahman
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • opioid peptides
  • opioid receptors
  • food addiction
  • palatable foods
  • hedonic aspect of food intake
  • neuropsychiatric disorders
  • brain regions/circuits

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 1288 KiB  
Article
The Role of Beta-Endorphin in Food Deprivation-Mediated Increases in Food Intake and Binge-Eating
by Laica Tolentino, Asif Iqbal, Shafiqur Rahman and Kabirullah Lutfy
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(2), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020212 - 27 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1615
Abstract
Food deprivation and binge eating represent significant public health concerns. Previous studies have implicated that hypothalamic opioids are affected following food deprivation. However, the role of each opioid peptide is not fully understood. Therefore, we investigated the role of endogenous beta-endorphin in food [...] Read more.
Food deprivation and binge eating represent significant public health concerns. Previous studies have implicated that hypothalamic opioids are affected following food deprivation. However, the role of each opioid peptide is not fully understood. Therefore, we investigated the role of endogenous beta-endorphin in food deprivation-mediated increases in food intake and binge eating. Male mice lacking beta-endorphin and their respective controls were subjected to 24 h food deprivation and then were randomly assigned to receive a regular diet (RD) or a high-fat diet (HFD). After four to five weeks, animals were re-exposed to an HFD to assess if previous exposure to HFD would enhance binge-eating behavior. We report that food deprivation significantly increases food intake; however, beta-endorphin may not be involved in this process. In addition, our findings suggest that prior exposure to an HFD promotes binge-eating behavior in wildtype mice, and that these effects were modestly decreased in beta-endorphin knockout mice. Overall, our results support that beta-endorphin may play a modest role in mediating palatability-driven feeding, but not hunger-associated feeding. A better understanding of neural mechanisms involved in binge eating and deprivation-induced increases in food intake may inspire new prevention or treatment options to decrease the burden of eating disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Endogenous Opioid System in Food Addiction)
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