Temporal dynamics of accumbal transcriptomic patterns following fetal growth restriction and insulin response in rats

While insulin plays key roles in peripheral metabolism, its central actions on brain development and behavior remain less understood. Here, we identify insulin signaling as a mechanistic link between FR and long-term alterations in behavior and nucleus accumbens (NAc) transcriptomics.

Using a rodent model, we first demonstrate that peripheral insulin modulates second-by-second dopamine release in the NAc during palatable food exposure—specifically in FR animals—suggesting a direct role in hedonic regulation. We also observed that FR females eat more palatable food immediately after presentation, in comparison to controls. Finally, transcriptomic profiling of the NAc across three developmental stages (P0, P21, P90) reveals prenatal growth restriction alters the molecular response to insulin across development, leading to distinct and often reversed transcriptional patterns compared to controls.