ABNORMAL WEIGHT-GAIN IN RATS WITH AMYGDALOID-LESIONS

Marked weight gain was observed in female rats given small electrolyti c lesions in the dorsal posterior portion of the amygdala. With a stan dard lab pellet diet, weight gains typically ranged between 20-30 g du ring the first 3 postoperative days, and between 60-100 g over the fir st 20 days. Rats with sham lesions generally gained only 5-15 g in 20 days. The results are consistent with much older studies that reported obesity in cats, dogs, and primates with lesions of the amygdala.