Health · Medical Research · 8 hrs ago
High-fat diets quickly alter feeding-related brain cells differently in male and female mice
Researchers at Rutgers University studied feeding-related brain cells in male and female mice.
These cells, in a brain region called the lateral hypothalamus, help suppress feeding and are involved in metabolism.
Before the diet test, the cells were more easily activated in female mice than in males.
After one day on a high-fat diet, the cells changed in different ways by sex: signals that activate them weakened in males, while signals that inhibit them weakened in females.
When researchers artificially increased the cells’ activity, male mice gained less weight and female mice lost weight while eating the high-fat diet.
The findings suggest these neurons may respond to high-fat eating in ways that affect obesity risk, but the study was in mice and does not establish the same effects in people.
Future research may test whether changing these neurons can limit weight gain in males and females.
Researchers at Rutgers University found that high-fat diets rapidly changed feeding-related neurons in male and female mice in different ways.
The study focused on excitatory neurons in the lateral hypothalamus, which suppress feeding and are involved in metabolism.
At baseline, these neurons were more easily excitable in female mice than in male mice.
After one day on a high-fat diet, the neurons became more excitable in males, while inputs to the neurons changed differently in each sex.
Artificially increasing activity in these neurons limited weight gain in males and led to weight loss in females on the diet.
- Who
- Researchers Yi Lu and Mark Rossi at Rutgers University studied male and female mice.
- What
- They found that high-fat diets rapidly changed feeding-related brain cells differently by sex.
- When
- The article was published on November 2, 2026. The neuronal changes were observed after one day on a high-fat diet.
- Where
- Rutgers University; the study involved mice.
- Why
- The researchers aimed to understand how overeating changes neural pathways involved in feeding and metabolism and whether these changes differ between males and females.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The lateral hypothalamic neurons studied were more easily excitable in female mice than in male mice.
The neurons had increased excitability in male mice, and their inputs changed differently in males and females.
Artificially increasing the neurons’ activity limited weight gain in males and led to weight loss in females.
- Researchers
- Yi Lu and Mark Rossi, Rutgers University
- Study
- Published in The Journal of Neuroscience
- Neurons studied
- Excitatory neurons in the lateral hypothalamus
- Diet response
- Increased neuronal excitability in males after one day
- Artificial activation
- Limited weight gain in males; led to weight loss in females