Obesity is one of the defining public health problems of our time. At its root, increases in fat storage is caused by an imbalance in energy homeostasis, favoring energy intake over expenditure. Physiological mechanisms are in place to prevent excess caloric intake, yet these defense mechanisms fail in the face a modern food environment that promotes food intake. This is underscored by the lack of efficacy of non-invasive strategies, such as caloric restriction or medications, to sustain long-term weight loss. Thus, there is a critical need to understand the pathophysiology leading to food overconsumption and develop novel strategies to promote weight loss. The vagus nerve provides direct communication about nutrient intake from the gut to the brain. Removing of the vagus in lean animals results in significant overeating when presented with palatable calorie dense diets, suggesting a protective role of the vagus nerve to prevent overconsumption of calories. In obesity, vagal communication of gut metabolic cues to the brain is impaired, and preventing vagal signaling results in weight loss in animals fed high fat diet. The mechanisms for the switch from protection against, towards promoting obesity are unclear, but we have recently demonstrated that chronic consumption of high fat diet results in anatomical restructuring of vagal fibers in the brain. Therefore, we propose a new hypothesis that vagal gut-brain axis is reprogramed in response to high fat diets to drive obesity. We use a combination of molecular and genetic approaches to deconstruct the sensory vagus into cellular components based on their site of innervation to fully elucidate the role of high fat feeding on vagal remodeling.
In aim 1 we assess the impact of diet on vagal fiber anatomy, synaptic function, and the behavioral consequences, including meal termination and motivation for food.
In aims 2 and 3 we consider the mechanisms by which diet causes vagal remodeling. We hypothesize that a gut microbiota-driven immune response triggers the rewiring of the gut-brain axis. This is supported by our previous work and preliminary data showing abnormal microbiota composition is necessary and sufficient to alter vagal innervation in the NTS.
In aim 2, we will use germ free rats and microbiota transplant to determine 1) if microbiota dysbiosis is sufficient for vagal remodeling, and 2) if restoring a symbiotic microbiota in obesity can normalize vagal signaling, feeding behavior and body weight.
In aim 3 we will combine genetic and molecular tools to investigate the recruitment of immune cells with the vagal afferent pathway as mediators of diet-driven vagal maladaptation. Completion of these studies will identify vagal rewiring as a novel pathway in the etiology of obesity, and establish microbiota and microglia as potential tools for the development of weight loss strategies. .
There is evidence that consumption of high fat foods leads to defective rewiring of the gut-brain neural axis, responsible for regulating meal size. In this proposal, we hypothesize that faulty vagal rewiring promotes overeating and weight gain. We aim to 1) characterize diet-driven alterations in gut-brain connectivity, 2) determine whether gut microbiota-driven immune response is responsible for rewiring the gut-brain axis. Knowledge from these studies will identify new targets and pathways for the development of obesity treatments.
