Genetic variation within GRM8 has been reported to significantly influence risk for diseases affecting the central nervous system including depression (Terracciano et al. 2010), autism (Li et al. 2008), schizophrenia (Takaki et al. 2004), and attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome (Elia et al. 2011). Interestingly, electrophysiological studies linked variants within GRM8 to increased risk of vulnerability to alcoholism (Rangaswamy and Porjesz 2008; Chen et al. 2009).

Furthermore, rs2237781 within GMR8 has been identified to be at Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical risk for smoking initiation and suggests that members of the glutamate receptor family may associate with nicotine dependence and vulnerability to addiction (Vink et al. 2009). The neurotransmitter glutamate is involved in http://www.selleckchem.com/products/lapatinib.html substance abuse behavior and may influence food intake (Stanley et al. 1993). A glutamate injection into the lateral hypothalamus has led to a dose-dependent eating response in satiated Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical rats (Stanley et al. 1993). Although the hypothesis Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of “food addiction” is under debate, there are further selleck compound indications implying that alterations in brain reward pathways are similar to those seen in drug addiction, particularly through effects

on the dopaminergic system (Johnson and Kenny 2010; Pandit et al. 2012). Several studies have shown that mechanisms influencing craving for alcohol and other substances may possibly overlap with processes regulating Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical appetite for food, implying a potential relationship with eating behavior (Robinson and Berridge 2000; Kelley et al. 2005; Volkow and Wise 2005; Volkow Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical et al. 2008, 2011, 2013). Moreover, there are indeed similarities reported for both eating disorders and substance abuse (Umberg et al. 2012). In line with this, data from studies in chicks indicate that GRM8 may influence the NPY system and melanocortin pathway which may play a role in feeding behavior

and metabolism via the hypothalamic pathway (Higgins et al. 2010). Taken together, GRM8 might be involved in the control of addiction behavior and may play a role in the regulation of eating behavior phenotypes. In the Batimastat present study we aimed to assess the effects of the genetic variant rs2237781 within GRM8 on eating behavior determined by the German version of the three factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ) (Pudel and Westenhöfer 1989) in the self-contained population of Sorbs (Veeramah et al. 2011), and to replicate the findings in two independent study cohorts. Methods Subjects Sorbs All subjects of the discovery cohort are part of an extensively phenotyped self-contained population in Eastern Germany, the Sorbs (Böttcher et al. 2009; Veeramah et al. 2011).