Striato-pallidal influence on food intake, body weight and locomotor activity

Abstract

The food and water intake, body weight, and locomotor activity (wheel runs) were studied before and after stereotaxic electrolytic lesions at different planes of caudate nuclei of adult male and female albino rats. Lesions of lateral preoptic area, medial forebrain bundle and marginal regions of globi pallidi led to aphagia and adipsia lasting for 8-38 days. Locomotor activity, however, remained normal and there was no motor deficit. There was significant increase in wheel running (100%-450%), after tiny lesions in the anterior part of caudate nucleus (A 8-6) whereas marked drop (50-90%) in daily wheel running was observed with posterior lesions at A 7-6. Increase in body weight (30-35%) and food and water intake (15-20%) without any change in locomotor activity resulted after tiny symmetrical lesions involving caudate nucleus just above the globus pallidus (A 7-4). Lesions involving nucleus accumbens, medial preoptic area and ventromedio-marginal part of caudate nucleus, however led to 10-25% decrease in body weight in spite of 30-35% increase in food intake. The results suggest a differential striato-pallidal regulation of food and water intake, body weight and activity.