Parabrachial and hypothalamic interaction in sodium appetite

S. Dayawansa, S. Peckins, S. Ruch, R. Norgren

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    15 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Rats with bilateral lesions of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) fail to exhibit sodium appetite. Lesions of the parabrachial nuclei (PBN) also block salt appetite. The PBN projection to the LH is largely ipsilateral. If these deficits are functionally dependent, damaging the PBN on one side and the LH on the other should also block Na appetite. First, bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the LH were needed because the electrolytic damage used previously destroyed both cells and axons. The ibotenic LH lesions produced substantial weight loss and eliminated Na appetite. Controls with ipsilateral PBN and LH lesions gained weight and displayed robust sodium appetite. The rats with asymmetric PBN-LH lesions also gained weight, but after sodium depletion consistently failed to increase intake of 0.5 M NaCl. These results dissociate loss of sodium appetite from the classic weight loss after LH damage and prove that Na appetite requires communication between neurons in the LH and the PBN.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)1091-1099
    Number of pages9
    JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
    Volume300
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    StatePublished - May 2011

    All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

    • General Medicine

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