Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026
Local Application of Drugs to Study Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices
Published on: October 29, 2012
Nicotine infusion into rat ventromedial nuclei and effects on monoaminergic system
Eduardo J B Ramos1, Michael M Meguid, Lihua Zhang
1Neuroscience Program, Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Surgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University, University Hospital, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Abstract:
Nicotine increases satiety and reduces food intake (FI). We hypothesize that nicotine influences FI via alteration of serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) concentration in ventromedial nucleus (VMN) and lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). Microdialysis cannulas were implanted into ipsilateral VMN and contralateral LHA. Nicotine or vehicle was infused for 60 min into VMN of overnight food-deprived rats, followed by ad lib food for 40 min. Hypothalamic changes in 5HT and DA concentrations were measured every 20 min. Intra-VMN nicotine induced a long-lasting increase in 5HT concentration and an increase in DA for a short duration in the VMN, associated with an increase in 5HT in the LHA. Our data suggest that the nicotine-induced hypophagia correlates with VMN and LHA monoaminergic changes.
