Ventral pallidal GABAergic neurons drive consumption in male, but not female rats

Food intake is controlled by multiple converging signals: hormonal signals that provide information about energy homeostasis, but also hedonic and motivational aspects of food and food cues that can drive non-homeostatic or "hedonic "feeding. The ventral pallidum (VP) is a brain region implicated in the hedonic and motivational impact of food and foods cues, as well as consumption of rewards. Disinhibition of VP neurons has been shown to generate intense hyperphagia, or overconsumption. While VP gamma-Aminobutyric acidergic (GABA) neurons have been implicated in cue-elicited reward seeking and motivation, the role of these neurons in the hyperphagia resulting from VP activation remains unclear. Here, we used Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) to activate or inhibit VP GABA neurons in sated male and female rats during chow and sucrose consumption. We found that activation of VP GABA neurons increases consumption of chow and sucrose in male rats, but not female rats. We also found that, while inhibition of VP GABA neurons tended to decrease sucrose consumption, this effect was not statistically significant. Together, these findings suggest that activation of VP GABA neurons can stimulate consumption of routine or highly palatable rewards selectively in male rats.