GABAB Receptor Signaling in the Mesolimbic System Suppresses Binge-like Consumption of a High-Fat Diet

Abstract

Binge eating could contribute to the development of obesity, and previous studies suggest that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type B receptor (GABABR) signaling is involved in the regulation of binge eating. Here, we show that time-restricted access to a high-fat diet (HFD) induces binge-like eating behavior in wild-type mice. HFD consumption during restricted time was significantly increased in corticostriatal neuron-specific GABABR-deficient mice compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, the GABABR agonist baclofen suppressed HFD intake during restricted time in wild-type mice but not in corticostriatal or dopaminergic neuron-specific GABABR-deficient mice. In contrast, there were no significant differences in food consumption among genotypes under ad libitum access to HFD. Thus, our data show that the mesolimbic system regulates food consumption under time-restricted but not ad libitum access to HFD and have identified a mechanism by which GABABR signaling suppresses binge-like eating of HFD.