Behavioural effects of NMDA injected into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of the rat

Electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVH) and of the adjacent dorsal hypothalamic area (DHA) evokes grooming behaviour. Microinjections of low doses of kainic acid, an agonist of the kainate type of glutamate receptors, into the same area evokes the same behaviour. To test whether other glutamate receptors are involved, microinjections with N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) were made into the PVH/DHA area and the behaviour was observed. From the total observation time (30 min) up to 73% was spent on grooming, accompanied by yawning. Pronounced feeding behaviour was also noticed at 3 injection sites but not until 23 min after injection. Conclusions are that neurones within the PVH/DHA area are involved in grooming behaviour, possibly via glutamatergic innervation. The interaction between grooming and feeding behaviour at the level of the PVH is discussed.