Insulin in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus reduces fat consumption in rats

Data are accumulating that insulin acting in the central nervous system is a physiological regulator of food intake and body weight, presumably via its effect in the hypothalamus. The present study investigated whether infusion of a small dose of insulin into two major hypothalamic insulin-binding areas also has an effect on diet selection and behavior. At the beginning of the dark period, rats received local bilateral infusions of 4 microU of insulin or vehicle during 34 min into the arcuate (ARC) or paraventricular (PVN) nucleus of the hypothalamus. Consumption of carbohydrate (C)-, protein (P)-, and fat (F)-enriched food and time spent on certain behaviors (drinking, resting, grooming, rearing, exploring/sniffing) were assessed during the first nocturnal hour. In addition, 21-h diet selection was assessed. The percentage contribution of macronutrients (C/P/F) to total energy content of the C-, P-, and F-enriched diets was 71.9/17.2/10.9, 45.8/43.4/10.8, and 47.1/17.5/35.4, respectively. During the first hour, infusion of insulin into the PVN increased grooming behavior compared to infusion of the vehicle. Although infusion of insulin had no effect on diet selection during the first hour, insulin infused in the ARC caused a reduction in F-enriched food consumption and total intake of F (as a macronutrient) over the 21-h period without altering total food intake. Infusion of a higher dose of insulin (10 microU) into the third ventricle had no effect on any of the assessed parameters. The data are explained to indicate that insulin (being an indicator of a positive energy balance) adjusts body weight homeostasis by modulating the preference for fat, at least at the level of the ARC, but not at the PVN.