Increase of Food Intake Induced by Electrical Stimulation of the Lateral Hypothalamus

Abstract

By using permanently implanted electrodes, different points of the hypothalamus and some other cerebral structures were stimulated over 5- to 10-day periods for 1 hr. daily. The studies were performed in cats, and the expts. in each animal lasted from 1 to 2 months. The results were as follows: daily stimulation of the most external part of the lateral hypothalamus produces an increase of food intake which may be as high as 1000% with respect to the control level. Both meat and milk intake increased as a result of stimulation but the former was greater than the latter. The increase of food intake lagged behind the onset of the stimulation. This delay suggests the participation of some slow humoral mechanism in the development of the reaction. Stimulation did not modify the blood sugar level; therefore "glucostatic" effects do not seem to be significant. Stimulation of other regions of the brain did not produce any change in the food intake even if the electrodes were only a few millimeters from the specific region. The following structures were tested: ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, inferior part of the internal capsule, nucleus entopeduncularis, optic tract, caudate nucleus and amygdaloid nuclei.