Fig. 5: Hedonic appetite rhythms are regulated by circadian clocks in dopaminergic neurons of the VTA.
From: Circadian regulation of hedonic appetite in mice by clocks in dopaminergic neurons of the VTA
a GFP fluorescence after stereotaxic GFP AAV injection into the VTA (white bar = 200 µm). b Bmal1 gene expression at ZT1 seven weeks after AAV-mediated knockdown of Bmal1 in the VTA (VTABmal1-KD; n = 8) and control mice (with scramble AAV injections; n = 14). c, d Chow intake (c) and hedonic overconsumption (d) of VTABmal1-KD and control mice (n = 14 for scramble AAV injections; n = 8 for VTABmal1-KD). e Th gene expression in the VTA of VTABmal1-KD and control mice. f, g Dopamine (f) and DOPAC (g) concentrations in the NAc of VTABmal1-KD and control mice. h zsGreen fluorescence after stereotaxic TH-Cre AAV injection into the VTA of zsGreen reporter mice (white bar = 200 µm). i–k mRNA expression at ZT1 of Bmal1 (i), Cre (j), and Th (k) in the VTA of THBmal1-KD (n = 6) and control (scramble AAV-injected; n = 5) mice. l–n Chow intake (l), hedonic overconsumption (m), and chocolate preference (n) of THBmal1-KD (n = 9) and control mice (n = 8). Data are shown as mean ± SEM; unpaired two-sided t-test (b, i–k) or two-way ANOVA with Sidak post hoc test (d–g, l–n); **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. b: p < 0.0001; d: ZT0–6 p = 0.012; e: ZT1 p = 0.0037, ZT13 p = 0.0023; f: ZT1 p = 0.0199, ZT13 p = 0.0015; g: ZT1 p = 0.0001, ZT13 p = 0.0034; i: p = 0.0036; j: p = 0.0049; k: p = 0.0025; m: ZT0–6 p = 0.0006. White box = light phase, black box = dark phase; dashed lines depicting baseline chow intake. Red red nucleus, RLi rostral linear nucleus raphe, iPed interpeduncular nucleus, SN substantia nigra, Mam mammillary nucleus, IF interfascicular nucleus. All replicates are biologically independent samples. Source data are provided as a Source data file.
