title: Reciprocal relation between the sympathetic nervous system and food intake.
abstract: The present studies have examined the hypothesis that food intake and sympathetic activity are inversely related. Following lateral hypothalamic lesions, food intake decreases and sympathetic activity rises. When pair-gained animals are used, the sympathetic activity of the LH-lesioned animals is above that of ad lib fed controls, and the sympathetic activity of the pair-gained animals is below that of the controls. With VMH-lesions, food intake rises and sympathetic activity falls. Several drugs, including 2-deoxy-D-glucose, fenfluramine, corticotropin releasing hormone, and neuropeptide Y, all show this reciprocal relationship. Three exceptions to this rule, the rat with a PVN lesion, cold exposure and animals eating a highly palatable diet, are discussed. Under the usual circumstances, the sympathetic activity appears to play a tonic role in regulating the onset of a meal, and the acute changes in sympathetic activity after eating may play a role in the onset of satiety.
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70808-4124.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bray
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D007026:Hypothalamic Area, Lateral / Q000502:physiology; D007033:Hypothalamus, Middle / Q000502:physiology; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D005277:Fenfluramine; D003847:Deoxyglucose