Gastric mucosal ulceration associated with electrochemical stimulation of the limbic brain

Electrochemical stimulation of the medial amygdaloid nucleus of chloralose-urethan anesthetized rats of either sex leads uniformly to the appearance of gastric ulcers within four hours. The effect is not present with sodium pentobarbital anesthesia, vagotomy, or following pretreatment with atropine sulfate or tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA). The effect is reduced by chlorpromazine and is not blocked by cimetidine in dosages as high as 160 mg/kg. It is concluded that the vagus nerve is a necessary component of the response and that the response appears to be cholinergic.