Publications by authors named "Julieta Aguggia"

The GH secretagogue receptor (GHSR) and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) are G protein-coupled receptors with critical, yet opposite, roles in regulating energy balance. Interestingly, these receptors are expressed in overlapping brain regions. However, the extent to which they target the same neurons and engage in molecular crosstalk remains unclear.

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The hormone ghrelin displays several well-characterized functions, including some with pharmaceutical interest. The receptor for ghrelin, the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), is expressed in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVH), a critical hub for the integration of metabolic, neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral functions. Here, we performed a neuroanatomical and functional characterization of the neuronal types mediating ghrelin actions in the PVH of male mice.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study used a specific mouse model (GHSR-eGFP) to show that ghrelin reaches the SuM and affects certain brain cells, particularly under conditions like calorie restriction or binge eating.
  • * While ghrelin injection in the SuM didn't change food intake or other behaviors immediately, it did enhance recognition memory, highlighting the role of SuM neurons in ghrelin's effects on behavior.
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Adverse environments during early life may lead to different neurophysiological and behavioral consequences, including depression and learning and memory deficits that persist into adulthood. Previously, we demonstrated that exposure to an enriched environment during adolescence mitigates the cognitive impairment observed after maternal separation in a task-specific manner. However, underlying neural mechanisms are still not fully understood.

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Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), the receptor for ghrelin, is expressed in key brain nuclei that regulate food intake. The dopamine (DA) pathways have long been recognized to play key roles mediating GHSR effects on feeding behaviors. Here, we aimed to determine the role of GHSR in DA neurons controlling appetitive and consummatory behaviors towards high fat (HF) diet.

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Reproductive experience in mammals produces significant neuroendocrine and behavioral changes that are necessary to ensure the survival of the mother and the young. Exposure to stress during postpartum may affect the proper development of maternal behaviors. The present study examined whether previous reproductive experience affects neurobehavioral responses in females exposed to mother-infant separation stress during the postpartum period (4.

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Repeated separation of dams from their pups during the postpartum period may evoke emotional stress in the dam. In the present study we investigated whether prolonged maternal separation is stressful for rat dams by studying different behavioral and central responses known to be affected by stress. After delivery, female Wistar rats were subjected to either animal facility rearing (AFR) conditions or daily 4.

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