Clarissa M. Liu

Oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei bidirectionally modulate food intake

This study shows that oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei have opposing effects on food intake, with PVH neurons reducing meal size and SON neurons increasing it.

Hippocampus oxytocin signaling promotes prosocial eating in rats

This study shows that oxytocin signaling in the dorsal hippocampus promotes prosocial eating in rats by enhancing food consumption with familiar conspecifics and facilitating social transmission of food preference.

Ventral hippocampus-lateral septum circuitry promotes foraging-related memory

This study identifies a neural circuit involving the ventral hippocampus and lateral septum that selectively mediates appetitive spatial memory for food or water locations.

Gut microbial taxa elevated by dietary sugar disrupt memory function

This study shows that early life sugar consumption alters gut microbiota and impairs hippocampal-dependent memory in rats, with specific bacterial taxa linked to these effects.

Central oxytocin signaling inhibits food reward-motivated behaviors and VTA dopamine responses to food-predictive cues in male rats

This study shows that central oxytocin reduces food-seeking behavior and VTA dopamine responses to food cues in male rats, but not postingestive reward value encoding.

Ghrelin signaling regulates feeding behavior, metabolism, and memory through the vagus nerve

This study shows that ghrelin signaling through vagal afferent neurons affects feeding, metabolism, and memory by targeting GHSR on these neurons.

Nucleus accumbens melanin-concentrating hormone signaling promotes feeding in a sex-specific manner

This study shows that MCH signaling in the nucleus accumbens shell promotes feeding in male rats but not females, with estradiol reducing this effect in females.