fMRI of hypothalamic activation by fasting in ob/ob mice using T2* and FDWI with high and low B values. A comparative study

Abstract

Obesity is a pandemic syndrome often associated to the most prevalent and morbid pathologies in developed countries. Body adiposity is thought to be regulated systemically through an endocrine ‘adiposity’-negative feedback loop, mainly supported by leptin interacting with hypothalamic nuclei. The leptin-null ob/ob mouse model exhibits decreased energy expenditure, hyperphagia and obesity. In this communication, we wish to characterize the activation by fasting in individual hypothalamic nuclei from ob/ob mice, using DWI at high b values, DWI at low b values and T2* imaging, comparing the results obtained with the three techniques.