Effect of Sham Operations in the Hypothalamus on Food and Water Intake of the Rat

Abstract

Exploratory electrode insertions using a stereotaxic instrument, without passing current, have been made bilaterally in and around the area in the hypothalamus of the rat where electrolytic lesions produce complete aphagia and adipsia. These ‘sham operations’ produce pronounced hypophagia and hypodipsia for 1–2 days. Effect on food intake is large and fairly uniform with all insertions peripheral to these nuclei but increases abruptly in the immediate neighborhood of the nuclei. It is suggested that electrode insertion without passing current may be useful as a finer tool than electrolytic lesions for precise localization of the centers involved.