Insulin actions in the mesolimbic dopamine system

Shuai Liu; Stephanie L Borgland

doi:10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113006

Insulin actions in the mesolimbic dopamine system

Exp Neurol. 2019 Oct:320:113006. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113006. Epub 2019 Jul 4.

Authors

Shuai Liu¹, Stephanie L Borgland²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE&STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, 3663 Zhongshan Road North, Shanghai 200062, China.
² University of Calgary, Cumming School of medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada. Electronic address: s.borgland@ucalgary.ca.

PMID: 31279911
DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113006

Abstract

As a major circulating feeding related hormone, insulin crosses the brain blood barrier and acts on the central nervous system to modulate both homeostatic and non-homeostatic feeding behaviours. The mesolimbic dopamine system is implicated in motivation and the reinforcement of food intake, and it can be delicately tuned in response to insulin. Studies have demonstrated differential effects of insulin in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) compared to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This review summarizes current findings and discusses possible explanations for the discrepancies of insulin effects on the VTA and NAc in the normal and insulin resistant conditions.

Keywords: Diabetes; Dopamine; Dopamine transporters; Insulin; Nucleus Accumbens; Obesity; Ventral tegmental area.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Dopamine / metabolism*
Feeding Behavior / physiology*
Humans
Insulin / metabolism*
Nucleus Accumbens / metabolism*
Ventral Tegmental Area / metabolism*

Substances

Insulin
Dopamine