Activity of single neurons in the hypothalamic feeding centers: effect of 2-deoxy-d-glucose

Abstract

Spontaneous activity of neurons of the ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus (satiety center) and of the lateral hypothalamus (feeding center) was recorded in cats paralyzed with gallamine. Spontaneous discharges of satiety neurons were generally between 1 and 5 and of feeding neurons between 2 and 12 spikes per sec. When 2-deoxy-d-glucose, an analogue of glucose, was administered by slow intracarotid infusion, in a dosage of 100-200 mg/kg body weight, the frequency of units from the ventromedial nuclei was decreased to about 20 per cent of the normal, while that of units from lateral hypothalamus was increased to 16 per cent of the normal in a period of about 50 min. Saline infusion did not produce such an effect. Other units from anterior, middle and posterior hypothalamus also did not respond to infusions of 2-deoxy-d-glucose. With the dosage used in this study, 2-deoxy-d-glucose did not produce any generalized changes in blood sugar or an arterior-venous glucose difference in the cat. The significance of the specific response of hypothalamic feeding centers to glucopenia is discussed.