S. Ritter et B. Hutton, MERCAPTOACETATE-INDUCED FEEDING IS IMPAIRED BY CENTRAL NUCLEUS OF THEAMYGDALA LESIONS, Physiology & behavior, 58(6), 1995, pp. 1215-1220
Systemic administration of mercaptoacetate (MA) blocks beta oxidation
of fatty acids and stimulates food intake. The present experiment exam
ined MA-induced feeding in rats with bilateral lesions of the central
nucleus of the amygdala (CNA) and sham-operated controls. Food intake
was measured for 6 h immediately following IP injection of 400, 600, o
r 800 mu mol/kg of MA or saline. Feeding was also measured in these ra
ts in response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg, SC
), a glucose analogue that competitively inhibits glucose utilization.
We found that CNA lesions blocked feeding in response to all three do
ses of MA. Feeding in response to 2DG was significantly reduced, but n
ot abolished, by the lesion. These findings suggest that the CNA is a
crucial component of the neural pathway for feeding in response to MA
and may also participate in 2DG-induced feeding.