Effects of cholecystokinin on sympathetic activity to interscapular brown adipose tissue

The effects of injecting cholecystokinin (CCK) into the third ventricle or into selected hypothalamic sites on electrical firing rate of sympathetic nerves to interscapular brown fat (IBAT) has been investigated in anesthetized rats. The hypothesis for these experiments was that there was a reciprocal relationship between sympathetic activity and food intake. Since CCK reduces food intake we predicted that CCK would stimulate sympathetic activity to IBAT. Following the injection of CCK into the third ventricle there was an increase in firing rate of sympathetic nerves to IBAT. When the peptide was injected into either the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) or lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), there was likewise an increase in sympathetic firing rate. The injection of CCK into the paraventricular nucleus produced a small decrease in sympathetic firing rate. In contrast, no effect was seen following injection of CCK into the preoptic area or dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus. Thus, the VMH or LHA appear to be the principal hypothalamic areas mediating the stimulation of sympathetic activity to IBAT which is observed following the third ventricular injection of CCK. These studies support the hypothesis of a reciprocal relationship between the effects of CCK on the thermogenic component of the sympathetic nervous system and food intake and identify the VMH and LHA as the primary sites for this effect.