Journal article
Relaxin-3 receptor (Rxfp3) gene deletion reduces operant sucrose-but not alcohol-responding in mice
AW Walker, CM Smith, AL Gundlach, AJ Lawrence
GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR | WILEY-BLACKWELL | Published : 2015
DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12239
Abstract
The pervasive use of refined sugars in highly accessible, palatable foods and persistent exposure to reinforcing food-associated cues has contributed to overconsumption of sugar-rich diets and the current obesity epidemic in Western society. We have shown previously that brain relaxin-3 mRNA levels positively correlate with sucrose and alcohol intake, and that central antagonism of relaxin-3 receptors (RXFP3) attenuates alcohol self-administration and alcohol-seeking in rats, but food-seeking behaviour and palatable food consumption in mice. To further examine the relationship between motivated appetitive behaviours and relaxin-3/RXFP3 signalling, we investigated the effect of Rxfp3 gene del..
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Grants
Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia
Funding Acknowledgements
This research was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia project grants (1021227 and 1079893 to A.J.L. and A.L.G.) and Research Fellowships (1020737 and 1005985) to A.J.L. and ALG; a grant from the Pratt and Besen Foundations and the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Program. A.W.W. was the recipient of University of Melbourne International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (APA/IPRS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. The authors thank Dr Timothy Lovenberg (Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson) for commissioning the production of the Rxfp3 KO strain and providing the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health (A.L.G.) with an original breeding colony.