Microelectrophoretic application of kainic acid into the globus pallidus: disturbances in feeding behavior

Body weight changes, food and water intake, and sensorimotor disturbances of male rats were studied after bilateral kainic acid-(KA) induced lesions of the globus pallidus (GP). To minimize the extent of damages, KA was applied electrophoretically by means of glass micropipettes (tip diameter of the pipettes was 10-15 microns). The neuron-specific damages of the GP resulted in aphagia and adipsia and rapid body weight decrease. Lesioned animals showed permanent motor disturbances but only temporary difficulties in the orientation toward sensory stimuli. Our data show that the selective destruction of the GP neurons results in a complex disorder that has motivational, (sensori)motor, and metabolic components.