Limitation of access to highly palatable foods increases the norepinephrine content of many discrete hypothalamic and amygdaloidal nuclei of rat brain.
The norepinephrine (NE) concentration of 14 discrete brain nuclei of rats fed with either purina rat chow or highly palatable foods, given ad libitum or in a restricted quantity isocaloric with the Purina rat chow diet, was measured by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The NE level was significantly increased in the n. suprachiasmaticus, n. paraventricularis, n. arcuatus and n. amygdaloideus (medialis, corticalis, centralis, basalis pars lateralis, lateralis pars posterior) of rats fed with palatable foods given in restricted amount. The increased NE level seems to be associated with the limitation of access to highly palatable food whilst the regimen composition and the palatability of foods are not implicated in this phenomenon. Some hypothalamic and amygdaloid NE-containing neurones can be affected by food-restriction stress, suggesting a role of this neuronal system in feeding activity.
D000679:Amygdala / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013649:Taste
D009638:Norepinephrine