The main topics currently being studied are :

1) Role of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in the CNS as regulator of the energy balance.

We take a pharmacological approach (perfusion of tyloxapol, LPL inhibitor, in rats) and genetic (injection of AAV-cre in the LPL-lox mouse) in order to inhibit LPL activity in the specific regions of the SNC and to evaluate the impact on energy balance regulation.

2) Role of transporter FAT/CD36 in regulating energy balance in the CNS.

Here again it is a case of studying the role that the fatty acid transporter FAT/CD36 may play in relaying the central detection of the circulating lipids

3) Odor perception and food intake

The detection and recognition of food odors are part of the brain mechanisms that regulate feeding behavior. However, the brain structures and cellular interactions that are responsible for this regulation remain unknown. In this context, we study the first relay of olfactory coding in the mammalian brain, the olfactory bulb. We have shown that there is a strong change in the activity of the olfactory bulb in leptin deficient ob / ob mice (article pdf). Currently, we continue to identify targets of interest in the olfactory bulb that can participate in the regulation of food intake and energy metabolism.

4) Bariatric surgery and regulation of the energy balance

This concerns the identification of the intestinal mechanisms that inform the CNS of the organism’s energy status and whether or not these mechanisms can be modified in the rat and mouse bariatric surgery models.

This work is carried out in co-operation with the teams of Gilles Mithieux (Inserm 855, Faculty of Medicine Laennec, Lyon, France), Rémy Burcelin (nserm U 1048, Team 2, “Intestinal Risk Factors, diabetic, Dyslipidemia” Hospital Rangueil, Toulouse, France), André Bado (Digestive physiology and endocrinology, Hospital Xavier Bichat, Paris, France), and Fabrzio Andreelli (Hospital La Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France)