A Neurogenic Basis Of Obesity Hypertension: Role Of Adipokines And Ghrelin In Regulating Sympathetic Vasomotor Activity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,035.00
Summary
During the development of obesity, brain centres are inappropriately activated by factors such as leptin which are released by excess fat accumulation. This reults in high blood pressure. We seek to determine which chemical type of brain neuron is responsible for receiving these signals in a specific brain region in an animal model that closely resembles the human form of the disease. We will focus specifically on areas known to control the sympathetic nervous system.
Does Obesity Have The Characteristics Of Addiction?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,832.00
Summary
The number of overweight or obese people in Australia has increased dramatically in recent years, increasing disease risk. The brain responds to palatable food in ways similar to the response to drugs of addiction, and this may explain why people find it hard to resist palatable food. Our work will explore whether obesity in rats has the characteristics of addiction by examining bingeing, craving, withdrawal and brain circuits in animals chronically exposed to palatable food.
Defining Reciprocal Neural Circuits That Regulate Appetite And Memory
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$341,935.00
Summary
How we remember meals influences how much we eat at later time points. This kind of memory likely comes from both the traditional brain areas associated with memory formation, and from areas associated with regulating appetite. How these two brain regions work together to help animals remember what they ate, where they found it, and whether they liked it is not known. This project investigates how these memories are formed and how they are used by animals to make decisions about future meals.
Carnitine Acetyltransferase (CrAT) Regulates Appetite And Body Weight Through The Melanocortin System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,087.00
Summary
Carnitine metabolism in peripheral tissues, such as muscle, maintains appropriate cellular metabolism and function. Little is known about carnitine metabolism in specific populations of brain cells regulate food intake and appetite. This project aims to understand how carnitine metabolism affect brain cells that regulate food intake and body weight.
Neural Sensing Of Hunger Links Homeostatic And Reward Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$444,366.00
Summary
Cells in the brain that respond to signals of hunger also increase motivation to obtain food and there reward value of food. This proposal examines how these hunger cells, called AgRP cells, sense changes in metabolic state in order to increase motivation and food reward pathways. We believe that understanding this process may help us understand why obese individuals overeat foods high in sugar and fat.
Obesity is a major global public health concern and there is a desperate need to identify new targets to treat obesity. By targeting the lesser investigated CART pathway and identifying the elusive CART receptor this could make a significant inroad to the understanding of the causes of appetite control and the development of obesity.
Exertional Dyspnoea With Increased Filling Pressure - Mechanisms And Treatment Strategies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,793.00
Summary
Patients with early heart disease often present with shortness of breath with exercise, as myocardial reserve at that stage is usually sufficient to maintain normal function at rest . Indeed, much myocardial dysfunction may originate from the modern lifestyle, including inactivity, obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. The potential benefits of making a definitive early diagnosis are large, because it seems more likely that an impact can be made on the disease process (and theref ....Patients with early heart disease often present with shortness of breath with exercise, as myocardial reserve at that stage is usually sufficient to maintain normal function at rest . Indeed, much myocardial dysfunction may originate from the modern lifestyle, including inactivity, obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. The potential benefits of making a definitive early diagnosis are large, because it seems more likely that an impact can be made on the disease process (and therefore, outcome) than with late stage disease. Current treatment strategies are expensive and because they are directed at end-organ damage (heart failure, heart attacks etc), rather ineffective. This multispecialty, multidisciplinary group will undertake a series of unique studies aimed at identifying early cardiovascular disease. The strategy will involve detection of abnormal filling behaviour at stress echocardiography, with randomization into longterm and short-term trials to examine various therapeutic strategies. Sensitive new cardiovascular imaging techniques will be used to detect preclinical abnormalities in the structure and function of the heart and vasculature, facilitating a mechanistic understanding of the process of increasing filling pressure with exercise.Read moreRead less
Carnitine Palmitoyl Transferase 1 In POMC Neurons Controls Glucose Homeostasis And Body Weight
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,499.00
Summary
The brain plays a critical role in body weight gain by balancing appetite-inducing and appetite-suppressing signals. An imbalance in this process causes obesity, promotes diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this research is to identify how appetite-suppressing brain signals are maintained as a method to prevent obesity progression.