Xavier Fioramonti awarded by the “Fédération pour la Recherche sur le Cerveau”

Xavier Fioramonti, researcher in the team NutriMind, at NutriNeuro, has been awarded by the FRC (Fédération pour la Recherche sur le cerveau) in the frame of the call for proposals “Le cerveau et l’environnement interne du corps“, for his project Moodyfructose with Véronique Douard (CR Inrae, Micalis, Paris) and Chloé Melchior (MCU-PH, CHU Rouen). Congratulations!

The project: Moodyfructose

The increase in fructose consumption has been highlighted by the Anses institute as a potential public health concern in view of a large number of studies demonstrating the detrimental effect of fructose overconsumption on metabolic disorders. Nevertheless, the effect of this sugar on the brain functions and mental health has been neglected; despite some studies in Human or animal models suggesting the potential impact that fructose consumption has on the development of mood disorders.

Based on solid preliminary data, MoodyFructose hypothesizes that fructose consumption, by inducing brain neuroinflammation, alters mood via two non-exclusive pathways: 1) a direct effect of fructose on brain microglia; 2) an indirect action via the modification of the gut and its microbiota homeostasis. These timely relevant hypotheses will be answered by the 3 complementary teams of the consortium (NutriNeuro Bordeaux, Micalis Paris and Rouen University Hospital) using pertinent and translational approaches through the recruitment of Healthy Volunteers and using original genetic animal models, gut microbiota analyses and microbiota transfer as well as behavioral, neurophysiology and molecular studies will be performed using these models. We expect to demonstrate that fructose intake affects emotional behaviors due to microglia-dependent neuroinflammation and/or due to microbiota-dependent peripheral inflammation.

The researchers involved in this project believe that it addresses the strategic challenges of the FRC call in providing unbiased data necessary to improve the nutritional recommendation for fructose consumption.

Contact

Xavier Fioramonti