Changes in Self-Stimulation at Stimulation-Bound Eating and Drinking Sites in the Lateral Hypothalamus During Food or Water Deprivation, Glucoprivation, and Intracellular or Extracellular Dehydration

These studies were designed to examine the effects of "hunger" induced by food deprivation, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (200 mg/kg), or insulin (2 U/kg) and "thirst" induced by water deprivation, sodium chloride (4 M), or polyethylene glycol (5 ml of 30% w/w) on lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation in 40 male Long-Evans rats. Changes in self-stimulation were evaluated at electrodes that produced stimulation-bound eating and/or drinking or neither behavior. Daily 30-min test sessions consisted of three 5-min periods of self-stimulation alternated with three 5-min periods when bar presses resulted in a 5-s time-out from experimenter-delivered stimulation (stimulation escape). Food deprivation significantly increased self-stimulation; insulin, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, and sodium chloride significantly suppressed self-stimulation; water deprivation mildly inhibited self-stimulation; and polyethylene glycol had no effect. This pattern of findings was noted at electrodes that did and those that did not elicit eating and/or drinking. These findings argue against the hypothesis that the magnitude of lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation is differentially and predictably controlled by specific drive mechanisms indexed by the consummatory behaviors also elicited by the stimulation.