Low bodily sodium levels can lead to a rise in sodium appetite but how is the drive to ingest sodium regulated to prevent overconsumption of this mineral? Park et al. found that, in mice, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2C-expressing (5HTR2C+) neurons in the lateral parabracial nucleus (LPBN) increased or decreased their activity when bodily sodium levels were high or low, respectively. Moreover, activation of LPBN 5HTR2C+ neurons suppressed sodium intake, whereas their inhibition induced sodium intake, suggesting that these neurons are key regulators of sodium appetite in mice.
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Park, S. et al. A neural basis for tonic suppression of sodium appetite. Nat. Neurosci. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0573-2 (2020)
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Yates, D. Sodium intake regulation. Nat Rev Neurosci 21, 120 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-020-0270-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-020-0270-x