Some biochemical effects of zona incerta lesions that interfere with the regulation of water intake.
The concentration of NE, DA and 5-HT in forebrain, striatum, and hypothalamus was measured after zona incerta (ZI) lesions that have been shown to result in general hypodipsia; adipsia during periods of food deprivation; impaired or abolished drinking in response to osmotic challenges (but not polyethylene glycol); impaired drinking after systemic isoproterenol or central angiotensin; and impaired or abolished feeding in response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose. The lesions produced a significant (40-50%) depletion of forebrain NE but a correlational analysis of the behavioral and biochemical effects of the lesions failed to indicate a causal relationship. The lesions did not reliably affect (a) forebrain DA or 5-HT; (b) striatal DA or 5-HT; (c) hypothalamic DA, NE or 5-HT. The results of these experiments indicate that significant impairments in ingestive behavior can be demonstrated in animals with diencephalic lesions that do not result in striatal (or forebrain) DA depletions. This confirms previous behavioral analyses showing that ZI lesions which interfere with ingestive behavior do not produce the debilitating sensory or motor dysfunctions typical of the rat with lateral hypothalamic lesions.
D000818:Animals; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000032:analysis; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005508:Food Deprivation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000032:analysis
D001679:Biogenic Amines