title: Level of corticosterone replacement determines body weight gain in adrenalectomized rats with VMH lesions.
abstract: Adrenalectomized female rats with lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus or sham lesions were given SC implants of wax pellets or a fused mixture of corticosterone-cholesterol (40, 75, or 130% by weight). In animals with sham lesions, high dosages of corticosterone proved to be catabolic (r = -0.61 between plasma corticosterone and weight change). In marked contrast, animals with VMH lesions displayed substantial weight gains at all circulating levels of corticosterone, with a significant positive correlation (r = +0.48) between these two variables. It is concluded that: a) damage to the basomedial hypothalamus alters an organism's response to corticosterone at both ends of the dose-response curve, and b) both Type I and Type II corticosterone receptors in the brain play a role in hypothalamic obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, LA 70148.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Zansler
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tatford
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Neville
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sam
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kass
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dallman
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014697:Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; C024357:corticosterone receptor; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone