Gastrin related peptide effects in lateral hypothalamus depend on food deprivation

Gastrin related peptides (PG) affected neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LHA) differently in food deprived than in non-deprived rats. Electroosmosis and intravenous (IV) results agreed. Gastric acid secretion was also measured. Neural responses to PG were: transiently increased discharge rate followed by desensitization occurred equally in deprived and non-deprived rats; dose related decrease in discharge rate occurred significantly more often in non-deprived than in deprived rats. Observed LHA changes and gastric acid secretion occurred pari passu. It was concluded that PG could contribute to LHA control of feeding behavior. It was not determined whether the effects attributed to systemic injection and those attributed to electroosmotic application both had the same origin. The significant differences which were observed could have been either different reacttions by one neuron type, or responses of different neuron types.