Abstract
The present study tested the hypothesis that the decreases in energy expenditure reported following ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) lesions in rats are a function of the decreases in adrenal function. Five groups of rats received 21 1hr/day sessions in activity wheels and then were subjected to either VMH lesions, adrenalectomies, the respective sham-operations, or no operation. Following surgery, each rat was again given access to an activity wheel for 24 1-hr test sessions. During the test phase the rats received a sequence of drug/no drug conditions which consisted of: (1) no injection; (2) injections of the vehicle substance; or (3) injections of corticosterone in the vehicle substance. Under the no-drug conditions, running levels of the VMH-lesioned and adrenalectomized rats decreased, with the levels of VMH-lesioned rats being more severely depressed. Corticosterone replacement therapy reinstated the activity levels of the adrenalectomized rats, but not those of the VMH rats. The hypothesis that the reductions in activity following adrenalectomy or destruction of the VMH are due to disruption of the same mechanism was not supported.
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