title: Activation of Serotonin 2C Receptors in Dopamine Neurons Inhibits Binge-like Eating in Mice.
abstract: Neural networks that regulate binge eating remain to be identified, and effective treatments for binge eating are limited.
  
  
  
  We combined neuroanatomic, pharmacologic, electrophysiological, Cre-lox, and chemogenetic approaches to investigate the functions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 2C receptor (5-HT2CR) expressed by dopamine (DA) neurons in the regulation of binge-like eating behavior in mice.
  
  
  
  We showed that 5-HT stimulates DA neural activity through a 5-HT2CR-mediated mechanism, and activation of this midbrain 5-HT→DA neural circuit effectively inhibits binge-like eating behavior in mice. Notably, 5-HT medications, including fluoxetine, d-fenfluramine, and lorcaserin (a selective 5-HT2CR agonist), act on 5-HT2CRs expressed by DA neurons to inhibit binge-like eating in mice.
  
  
  
  We identified the 5-HT2CR population in DA neurons as one potential target for antibinge therapies, and provided preclinical evidence that 5-HT2CR agonists could be used to treat binge eating.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Pingwen
authors: P
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Yanlin
authors: Y
authors: He
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Xuehong
authors: X
authors: Cao
authors: Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
authors: Lourdes
authors: L
authors: Valencia-Torres
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Xiaofeng
authors: X
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Saito
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Chunmei
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Yongjie
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Antentor
authors: A
authors: Hinton
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Liangru
authors: L
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Shu
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors: Martin G
authors: MG
authors: Myers
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors: Qi
authors: Q
authors: Wu
authors: Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors: Qingchun
authors: Q
authors: Tong
authors: Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
authors: Lora K
authors: LK
authors: Heisler
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Children's Nutrition Research Center, and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: yongx@bcm.edu.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002032:Bulimia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C / Q000378:metabolism*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D005473:Fluoxetine; D044405:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; C506658:lorcaserin
keywords: Binge eating; Dopamine; Lorcaserin; Neuron; Receptor; Serotonin