Biology subjects

Chaouloff, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Chaouloff, F..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Ventromedial striatal GABAergic interneurons sex-dependently gate cost-benefit choices between food and exercise

Healthy energy balance relies on an equilibrated trade-off between the respective drives for food and exercise. However, the motivation circuitry underlying the choice between these two rewards remains unknown. Here, we developed a neuroeconomic model wherein mice living in operant chambers needed to choose between standard food and wheel running under increasing effort demands. Reward seeking resistance to increasing costs was then quantified using feeding and exercise essential values (EVs). Through conditional genetics and viral approaches, we show that cannabinoid type-1 receptors (CB1Rs) located on GABAergic neurons gate in necessary and sufficient manners exercise EV, exercise preference over feeding and exercise duration per rewarded sequence. Further, we report that these GABAergic neurons are located in the ventromedial striatum in males, but not females. CB1R deletion from medium spiny neurons did not impact exercise motivation, revealing an unforeseen role for ventromedial striatal GABAergic interneurons in effort-based decision-making between food and exercise.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

The ventral striatum contributes to energy balance

Accumulating evidence points to dysregulations of common brain systems in eating disorders (ED), the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) in particular. However, to which extent alterations in NAc activity contribute to ED-like dimensions remains unclear. Using chemogenetic manipulations of dopamine D1 receptor-expressing and D2-expressing neuronal subpopulations of the NAc in male mice, we assessed their respective roles in incentive processes, food intake and the balance between feeding and exercise-mediated energy expenditure. We found that D1-neurons facilitate effort for a food reward but decreased food intake, while D2-neurons have opposite effects. The anorexigenic influence of D1-neurons was accompanied by increased voluntary exercise while the orexigenic effect of D2-neurons was concomitant with decreased running, congruent with D2-neurons being more active than D1-neurons during feeding while it is the opposite during running. Chronic manipulations of each subpopulations had limited effects on energy balance. However, repeated activation of D1-neurons combined with inhibition of D2-neurons biased behavior toward activity-related energy expenditure leading to weight/fat loss, whilst the opposite manipulations favored energy intake and hence weight/fat gain. Strikingly, concomitant activation of D1-neurons and inhibition of D2-neurons precipitated weight loss in anorexia models. These results suggest that dysregulations of NAc dopaminoceptive neurons might be at the core of EDs.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

A new mutant mouse model lacking mitochondrial-associated CB1 receptor

The idea that the effects of drugs largely depend on subcellular target location is emerging as a novel predictive factor of their beneficial or adverse outcomes. G protein-coupled type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1) are regulators of several brain functions as well as the main targets of cannabinoid-based medicines. Besides their classical location at plasma membranes, CB1 receptors are present at different locations within cells, including in association to mitochondrial membranes (mtCB1). Here we report the generation and characterization of a mutant mouse line, which lack mtCB1 receptors.

neuroscience↗