Activin antiserum infused into the lateral hypothalamic area affects operant behavior of rats fed lysine-deficient...

Rats were trained to maintain a high rate of bar pressing to receive 50-mg pellets of a complete diet when given a lysine-deficient (Lys-def) diet ad libitum. This bar-pressing behavior was significantly inhibited when rats were also allowed ad libitum access to 0.4 M Lys to drink. A brain activin system may modulate motivation to engage in bar-pressing behavior, since previous work has established that antagonism of activin by infusion of inhibin or follistatin, but not activin, into the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) also inhibits bar-pressing behavior. The present study sought to clarify whether the effect of inhibin or follistatin might be mediated by antagonism of endogenous activin or by a separate direct effect of inhibin or follistatin. Thus, we infused an antiserum, which specifically inhibits activin A activity, into the LHA. Infusion of antiserum greatly inhibited bar-pressing behavior of rats fed a Lys-def diet and was additive with Lys consumption further to decrease bar pressing. Ad libitum Lys consumption was unchanged from control levels, indicating that it is likely that an endogenous activin system in the LHA mediates behavioral responsiveness when rats are fed a Lys-def diet but does not appear specifically to affect appetite for Lys.