title: Effects of bicuculline infusions in the ventromedial hypothalamus and amygdaloid complex on food intake and affective behavior in mother rats.
abstract: The mother rat is hyperphagic, aggressive toward other adults, and less fearful than non-maternal rats. The present experiments were conducted to examine whether GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) mechanisms in the ventromedial hypothalamus and amygdala participate in the control of these behavioral changes. Unilateral infusions of the GABA receptor blocker bicuculline (60 ng/0.5 microliter) into the ventromedial hypothalamus depressed food intake and lowered aggression. Similar infusions into the amygdaloid complex did not affect eating, but they did reduce aggressive behavior. Freezing behavior, a natural fear response, was not affected by the hypothalamic or the amygdaloid bicuculline infusions. These data support previous evidence suggesting a role for GABA in the regulation of postpartum changes in food intake and affective behavior.
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007033:Hypothalamus, Middle / Q000502:physiology*; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D001640:Bicuculline