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Hypothalamic deafferentation in the rat appears to discriminate between the anterior lobe and intermediate lobe
Abstract:
Anterolateral deafferentation of the mediobasal hypothalamus prevented the increase of the plasma corticosterone concentration induced by ether, histamine and electric footshock. Hypothalamus deafferentation also prevented the ether stress-induced increase of the plasma levels of ACTH and beta-endorphin immunoreactivity (ACTHi, beta-ENDi). Infusion of isoproterenol evoked an increase of the plasma levels of corticosterone, ACTHi, beta-ENDi and alpha-MSH immunoreactivity (alpha-MSHi) in sham-operated rats. In rats with a deafferented hypothalamus, the responses of plasma corticosterone and ACTHi to isoproterenol were blocked but the responses of plasma beta-ENDi and alpha-MSHi remained intact. We conclude that circulating beta-ENDi after exposure to ether is of anterior lobe origin while circulating beta-ENDi after infusion of isoproterenol is of intermediate lobe origin.