Functional decortication lowers ventromedial hypothalamic activation induced by hippocampal neostigmine injection

This experiment tested the effects of cortical spreading depression (CSD) o n the ventromedial hypothalamic activity and on the related thermogenesis, both stimulated by an injection of neostigmine in the hippocampus. The firi ng rate of the neurons of the ventromedial hypothalamus, and the temperatur e of the interscapular brown adipose tissue and of the colon (T-IBAT and T- C) were monitored in 24 urethane-anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats divi ded into four groups. These variables were measured before and after hippoc ampal injection of neostigmine (5 x 10(-7) mel) in the first and second gro ups or of saline in the third and fourth groups. The hippocampal injection was preceded by CSD in the first and third groups, while CSD was not induce d in the second and fourth groups. The same procedure was carried out in th e other four groups of six rats each and oxygen consumption was monitored. The results show an increase in the firing rate, T-IBAT, T-C and oxygen con sumption after the neostigmine injection. CSD significantly reduces these e nhancements. The findings demonstrate that: (i) the activation of ventromed ial hypothalamic neurons are involved in the thermogenic changes due to the effects of a neostigmine injection into the hippocampus; and iii) integrit y of cerebral cortex is required for this activation of thermogenesis.