Anterior cingulate cortical lesion attenuates food foraging in rats.
We have developed a novel laboratory rodent model to detect competitive, non-competitive and no-hurdle foraging behaviors as seen in natural environment. However, it is not clear which brain region is important for the food foraging activity. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of lesions in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) on the rat food foraging behavior with the established model. In contrast to the sham lesion group (saline microinjection into the ACC), bilateral complete ACC chemical lesions (kainic acid microinjection into the ACC) significantly decreased the amount of foraged food in the competitive food foraging tests, non-competitive or no-hurdle foraging test. Moreover, the deficit of the food foraging activity was more prominent in the competitive food foraging test than in the non-competitive food and no-hurdle foraging test after ACC lesions. No alterations after ACC lesions were found in other behaviors including elevated plus-maze test (EPM), forced swimming test (FST), open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test and exploratory behavior. These findings suggest that the ACC mediate the food foraging-related behaviors.
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Tongzipo Road 172, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China.
Fang
F
Li
Mingbo
M
Li
Wenyu
W
Cao
Yang
Y
Xu
Yanwei
Y
Luo
Xiaolin
X
Zhong
Jianyi
J
Zhang
Ruping
R
Dai
Xin-Fu
XF
Zhou
Zhiyuan
Z
Li
Changqi
C
Li
D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008845:Microinjections; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D013550:Swimming
D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D009498:Neurotoxins; D007608:Kainic Acid