Biology session

Replenishment of nutrients and supply of energy is essential for the functioning of an organism, which is done through the process of feeding. The regulation of food intake and energy metabolism is influenced by several brain areas, but the main mediator is the nucleus arcuatus region of the hypothalamus. The AgRP and POMC neurons located here are responsible for the sensation of hunger and satiety. The food intake and food-seeking process is triggered by a psychobiological experience of appetite and terminated by a feeling of satisfaction, called satiety. Ghrelin, produced in the stomach, binds receptor-specifically on AgRP cells, which inhibit the melanocortin neurons responsible for satiety, thus inducing the sensation of hunger. It is known that in addition to inducing hunger, these neurons can also affect a number of cognitive abilities, but the regulation and background of this is not yet known. My experiments were carried out in mice, and the aim of my work is to determine whether AgRP cells do indeed affect the learning and memory abilities of these animals. To carry out the study, mice were divided into two groups. One group consisted of animals with normal AgRP cell function, and the other group consisted of mice in which most of the AgRP cells were eliminated in neonatal age so that the learning difference between the two groups could be investigated. The studies were carried out using a so-called IntelliCage system, which was able to collect data on the animals' activities in the cage using a radio frequency identification chip. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to detect any learning differences between the two groups. Our results show that there are well-detectable, trend-like changes in the exploratory and learning behavior of AgRP-deficient mice on an ad libitum diet, however, the exact nature and characteristics of these subtle changes require further investigation in the future.