INSULIN MODULATES FOOD VALENCE THROUGH ASTROCYTES

In GFAP-IR KO mice, lacking insulin receptors in astrocytes increases anxiety and fear responses to food, unlike control littermates.

• Why it matters: Identifying how brain cells assign affective value to food is key, because insulin acts centrally via astrocytes and shapes feeding-related mood and behavior.
• What they did: The study used food-driven changes in anxiety and fear as valence proxies in mice, then measured c-fos in lateral hypothalamus orexin neurons and tested chemogenetic stimulation of LH astrocytes in fed GFAP-IR KO mice.
• The result: Orexin neurons showed increased c-fos expression in fed GFAP-IR KO mice, and chemogenetic activation of LH astrocytes significantly attenuated their fear responses, implying astrocytic insulin receptors modulate orexin responses to food.

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