The cannabinoid 1-receptor silent antagonist O-2050 attenuates preference for high-fat diet and activated astrocytes in mice

Endocannabinoids have been shown to activate reward-related feeding and to promote astrocytic differentiation. we investigated whether high-fat diet (hfd) intake produced a preference for hfd via an endocannabinoid-dependent mechanism. in the conditioned place preference test,the 2-week hfd-intake group showed preference for hfd and had increased expression of a marker for reactive astrocytes,glial fibrillary acid protein (gfap),in the hypothalamus. the cannabinoid cb1-receptor antagonist o-2050 reduced the preference for hfd and expression of gfap in the hypothalamus. these results suggested that hfd intake led to the development of a preference for hfd via astrocytic cb1 receptors in the hypothalamus. © 2010 the japanese pharmacological society.