The body weight loss of young rats caused by hepatic branch vagotomy is influenced by environmental temperature.
Changes in body weight after hepatic branch vagotomy or sham vagotomy were examined in rats of three different body weights (about 100, 200 and 280 g), and it was noted that the weight loss was evident only in 100 g rats. In a second experiment, 100 g animals were hepatic branch vagotomized or sham operated and housed at three different room temperatures (12-17, 17-22, 22-27 degrees C). Subsequently, the reduction in weight of the vagotomized animal was correlated with the lowest room temperature in the vagotomized animal, and food intake was also decreased in direct relation to the temperature. The results suggest that there might be a hepatic vagal mechanism modulating food intake in young animals, and such a mechanism may be modulated by the environmental temperature.
Sakaguchi
T
T
Department of Physiology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan.
Tamaki
M
M
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating; D008099:Liver / Q000294:innervation*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D015431:Weight Loss