The control of feeding and physical activity is tightly linked and coordinated. However the underlying mechanisms are unclear. One of the major regulatory systems of feeding behaviour involves neuropeptide Y (NPY) signalling, with the signalling mediated through NPY Y4 receptor also known to influence activity. Here we show that mice globally lacking the () in the absence of access to a running wheel behaved WT-like with regards to food intake, energy expenditure, respiratory exchange ratio and locomotion regardless of being fed on a chow or high fat diet. Interestingly however, when given the access to a running wheel, mice while having a comparable locomotor activity, showed significantly higher wheel-running activity than WT, again regardless of dietary conditions. This higher wheel-running activity in mice arose from an increased dark-phase running time rather than changes in number of running bouts or the running speed. Consistently, energy expenditure was higher in than WT mice. Importantly, food intake was reduced in mice under wheel access condition which was due to decreased feeding bouts rather than changes in meal size. Together, these findings demonstrate an important role of Npy4r signalling in the dual control of feeding and physical activity, particularly in the form of wheel-running activity.

中文翻译：

---

NPY-Y4R信号在进食和体力活动双重控制中的重要作用

摄食和体力活动的控制是紧密联系和协调的。然而，其根本机制尚不清楚。进食行为的主要调节系统之一涉及神经肽 Y (NPY) 信号传导，通过 NPY Y4 受体介导的信号传导也已知会影响活动。在这里，我们发现，在缺乏跑轮的情况下，总体上缺乏（）的小鼠在食物摄入、能量消耗、呼吸交换率和运动方面表现得与野生型小鼠相似，无论是吃食物还是高脂肪饮食。然而有趣的是，当让小鼠使用跑轮时，虽然具有相当的运动活动，但无论饮食条件如何，它们都表现出比野生型小鼠显着更高的跑轮活动。小鼠较高的轮跑活动是由于暗相跑步时间的增加，而不是跑步次数或跑步速度的变化。一致地，能量消耗高于野生型小鼠。重要的是，在轮子进入条件下小鼠的食物摄入量减少，这是由于进食次数减少而不是膳食量的变化。总之，这些发现证明了 Npy4r 信号在进食和身体活动的双重控制中的重要作用，特别是在跑轮活动的形式中。