Alpha-adrenergic pathways in the lateral hypothalamus are important for the dipsogenic effect of carbachol injected into the medial septal area

ABSTRACT

We studied the effect of the Ó1-and Ó2-adrenergic receptors of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) on the control of water intake induced by injection of carbachol into the medial septal area (MSA) of adult male Holtzman rats (250-300g) implanted with chronic stainless steel cannulae into the LH and MSA. The volume of injection was always 1 µl and was injected over a period of 30-60 s. For control, 0.15MNaCl was used. Clonidine (20 nmol) but not phenylephrine (160 nmol) injected into the LH inhibited water intake induced by injection of carbachol (2 nmol) into the MSA, from 5.4 ñ 1.2ml/h to 0.3 ñ 0.1 and 3.0 ñ 0.9 ml/h, respectively (N=26). When we injected yohimbine (80nmol) + clonidine (20nmol) and prazosin (40nmol) + clonidine (20nmol) into the LH, water intake induced by injection of carbachol into the MSA was inhibited from 5.4 ñ 1.2 ml/h to 0.8 ñ 0.5 and 0.3 ñ 0.2 ml/h, respectively (N=19). Water intake induced by carbachol (2nmol) injected into the MSA was decreased by previous injection of yohimbine (80 nmol) + phenylephrine (160 nmol) and prazosin (40 nmol) + phenylephrine (160 nmol) from 5.4 ñ 1.2ml/h to 1.0 ñ 0.7 and 1.8 ml/h, respectively (N = 16). The cannula reached both the medial septal area in its medial portion and the lateral hypothalamus. It has been suggested that the different pathways for induction of drinking converge on a final common pathway. Thus, adrenergic stimulation of Ó2-adrenoceptors of LH can influence this final common pathway