The research program of the Group summarizes our multiple neurophysiological experiments to functionally characterize the glucose-monitoring (GM) neuronal network substantial in the central regulation of feeding, body weight, and metabolism. Extracellular single neuron recording, neurochemical-biochemical and behavioral investigations are planned in the laboratory rat. The target areas of the experiments are the limbic forebrain structures, well known for their distinguished regulatory importance, in which the homeostatic role of the GM neurons is to be elucidated. 

Successful accomplishment of the program serves the better understanding of the central regulation of feeding and metabolism and that of diseases (obesity, diabetes mellitus, etc.) developing after pathological alterations of these functions and causing escalating social and financial problems worldwide. In addition to elucidate so far unknown regulatory processes and pathological mechanisms, it is highly hoped that our research approach enables us to identify new molecular drug-targets in the limbic forebrain and leads to the development of novel therapeutic approaches as well.

Cerebral microinjection set-up
Cold chemistry photometric plasma metabolite measuring equipment
Extracellular single neuron recording set-up
Taste reactivity measuring set-up
Brain microinjection technique in freely moving animal
Evaluation of taste information processing: 1) conditioned taste avoidance and aversion tests; 2) taste reactivity tests
Metabolic measurements: 1) determination of plasma metabolite concentrations; 2) glucose tolerance test
Single neuron recording – the multibarreled microelectrophoretic technique

EFOP-3.6.1-2016-00004. Investigation of the peripheral and central regulation of metabolism by bioimpedance measurements, human behavioral physiological and complex neurophyisological methods. 2016-2020.