Abantu abazifumana begqogqa efrijini bekhangela ishwamshwam kungekudala emva kokuba betyile ukutya banokuba nemithambo-luvo efuna ukutya ngokugqithisileyo, hayi ukuthanda ukutya kakhulu.
Iingcali zengqondo ze-UCLA zifumene isiphaluka kwingqondo yeempuku ezenza zinqwenele ukutya kwaye zifune, nangona zingalambanga. Xa ivuselelwe, eli qela leeseli liqhubela iimpuku ukuba zitye ngamandla kwaye zikhethe ukutya okunamafutha kunye nokutya okumnandi okufana netshokholethi kukutya okunempilo okufana neminqathe.
Abantu baneentlobo ezifanayo zeeseli, kwaye ukuba ziqinisekisiwe ebantwini, okufunyenweyo kunokubonelela ngeendlela ezintsha zokuqonda ukuphazamiseka kokutya.
Ingxelo, epapashwe kwijenali Unxibelelwano lweNdalo, ngowokuqala ukufumana iiseli ezizinikele ekufuneni ukutya kwindawo yengqondo yempuku edla ngokunxulunyaniswa nokuphakuzela, kodwa hayi ngokutyisa.
“Lo mmandla siwufundayo ubizwa ngokuba yi-periaqueductal grey (PAG), kwaye ikwi-brainstem, indala kakhulu kwimbali yendaleko kwaye ngenxa yoko, iyafana phakathi kwabantu neempuku,” utshilo umbhali ohambelanayo. Avishek Adhikari, unjingalwazi onxulumene ne-UCLA wezengqondo. "Nangona oko sikufumeneyo bekumangalisa, iyavakala into yokuba ukufuna ukutya bekuya kumiliselwa kwindawo yakudala yengqondo, kuba ukutya kuyinto ekufuneka yenziwe zizo zonke izilwanyana."
UAdhikari ufunda indlela uloyiko kunye nokuxhalaba ezinceda ngayo izilwanyana ukuba zivavanye imingcipheko kwaye zinciphise ukuvezwa kwizisongelo, kwaye iqela lakhe lenze ukufunyanwa ngelixa lizama ukufunda ukuba le ndawo ibandakanyeka njani kuloyiko.
"Ukusebenza kwawo wonke ummandla we-PAG kubangela ukusabela okumangalisayo kuzo zombini iimpuku nakubantu. Kodwa xa sikhetha ngokukhethekileyo eli qela elithile le-PAG neurons elibizwa ngokuba ziiseli ze-vgat PAG, azizange zitshintshe uloyiko, kwaye endaweni yoko zibangele ukutya kunye nokutya, "utshilo uAdhikari.
Abaphandi bafakela ubuchopho bempuku intsholongwane eyenziwe ngofuzo ukwenza iiseli zengqondo zivelise iprotheyini ebuthathaka. Xa i-laser ikhanya kwiiseli nge-fiber-optic implant, iprotheni entsha iguqulela oko kukhanya kumsebenzi we-neural wombane kwiiseli. Imakroskopu encinci, ephuhliswe e-UCLA kwaye incanyathiselwe entlokweni yempuku, irekhode umsebenzi we-neural weeseli.
Xa ivuselelwe ngokukhanya kwe-laser, iiseli ze-vgat ze-PAG zadubula kwaye zakhaba imawusi ekusukeleni iqakamba ephilayo kunye nokutya okungenalo ixhoba, nokuba isanda kudla isidlo esikhulu. Ukuvuselela kwakhona kubangele imouse ukuba ilandele izinto ezihambayo ezingezizo ukutya - njengeebhola ze-ping pong, nangona ingazange izame ukuyidla-kwaye yenza ukuba imouse iphonononge ngokuzithemba yonke into kwindawo ebiyelweyo.
"Iziphumo zibonisa ukuba oku kulandelayo kuhambelana nokufuna kunokulamba," utshilo u-Adhikari. “Indlala iyanqanda, nto leyo ethetha ukuba iimpuku zihlala zikuphepha ukulamba ukuba ziyakwazi. Kodwa bafuna ukusebenza kwezi seli, becebisa ukuba isekethe ayibangeli ndlala. Endaweni yoko, sicinga ukuba le sekethe ibangela umnqweno wokutya okunexabiso eliphezulu, okunekhalori ephezulu. Ezi seli zinokubangela ukuba impuku itye ukutya okunekhalori ephezulu naxa indlala ingekho.”
Iimpuku ezihluthisiweyo ezineeseli ze-vgat ze-PAG ezisebenzayo zazinqwenela ukutya okunamafutha kakhulu, zazikulungele ukunyamezela ukothuka kweenyawo ukuze zifumane, into egcweleyo iimpuku azinakuyenza. Kwelinye icala, xa abaphandi betofa intsholongwane eyenzelwe ukuvelisa iprotein ethomalalisa umsebenzi weeseli phantsi kokuvezwa kukukhanya, iimpuku zatya kancinci, nokuba bezilambe kakhulu.
“Iimpuku zibonisa ukutya okunyanzelekileyo xa kukho iziphumo ezithe ngqo xa le sekethi isebenza, kwaye azikhangeli ukutya nokuba zilambile xa kungasebenzi. Le sekethe inokuthintela uxinzelelo oluqhelekileyo lwendlala yokuba njani, ntoni kwaye nini, utshilo uFernando Reis, umphandi wase-UCLA owenze uninzi lweemvavanyo ephepheni kwaye weza nombono wokufunda ukutya okunyanzelekileyo. "Senza ulingo olutsha olusekwe kwezi zinto zifunyenweyo kwaye sifunda ukuba ezi seli ziphembelela ukutya ukutya okunamafutha kunye neswekile, kodwa hayi imifuno kwiimpuku, sicebisa ukuba le sekethi inokonyusa ukutya okungenamsoco."
Njengeempuku, abantu bakwanazo iiseli ze-vgat ze-PAG kwi-brainstem. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba xa le sekethi isebenza ngokugqithisileyo emntwini, banokuziva bevuzwe ngakumbi ngokutya okanye banqwenele ukutya xa bengalambanga. Kwelinye icala, ukuba le sekethi ayisebenzi ngokwaneleyo, banokuba nolonwabo oluncinci olunxulumene nokutya, okunokuba negalelo kwi-anorexia. Ukuba ifunyenwe ebantwini, isekethe yokufuna ukutya inokuba yinto ekujoliswe kuyo kunyango lwezinye iintlobo zokuphazamiseka kokutya.
Uphando luxhaswe yiZiko leSizwe leMpilo yeNgqondo, iSiseko soPhando lweBrain & Behavior kunye neNational Science Foundation.
umthombo: UCLA
