Feeding pattern in obese Zucker rats after dopaminergic and serotonergic LHA grafts

To study the role of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) dopamine and serotonin in the regulation of feeding pattern during obesity, embryonic dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons from mesencephalon and rombencephalon of lean rats were grafted into the LHA of adult obese Zucker rats. Compared to the pregrafting period, a smaller increase in meal size occurred in both serotonin-grafted (9%) and dopamine-grafted (31%) rats vs control rats (51%). There was also a smaller decrease in meal number in both serotonin-grafted (3%) and dopamine-grafted (13%) rats vs control rats (28%). Although the changes in feeding pattern resulted in a decrease in total food intake in serotonin-grafted rats (5%) vs control rats, no differences in body weight gain were observed in grafted vs control rats for the duration of the study. Since adult obese Zucker rats are known to have an increased meal size and decreased meal number relative to lean rats, the data indicate the involvement of LHA dopamine and serotonin in the regulation of feeding pattern during obesity.