ISSN:
1471-4159
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract: Norepinephrine (NE) was microinjected into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), while microdialysis was used to monitor extracellular dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The PVN is a site where exogenously administered NE can act through α2 receptors to elicit eating behavior and preference for carbohydrates. It was hypothesized that NE in the PVN acts on a behavior reinforcement system by altering the DA/ACh balance in the NAc. NE microinjections (80 nmol in 0.3 µl), which effectively elicited feeding in satiated rats in a separate test, caused a significant increase in extracellular DA (109%) and decrease in ACh (−27%) when the same animals were tested in the absence of food. In contrast when the food was available and ingested, ACh increased (51%) instead of decreasing. These results support the hypothesis that a functional link exists between the PVN and the NAc in which DA helps initiate and ACh helps stop appetitive behavior involved in the reinforcement of eating.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1471-4159.1997.68020667.x