AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 245, Issue 2 265-G269, Copyright © 1983 by American Physiological Society
Dual effects of electrical stimulation of ventromedial hypothalamic neurons on gastric acid secretion in rats
T. Ishikawa, M. Nagata and Y. Osumi
Effects of electrical stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) on
gastric acid output and mucosal blood flow were examined in rats
anesthetized with urethan. With stimulation of this area, a significant
increase in acid output and mucosal blood flow occurred in 8 out of 16
animals. In these eight rats, the tip of the electrode had been placed
mainly within the caudal portion of VMH. When the basal acid output was
maintained at a relatively high level by pretreating the rats with
2-deoxy-D-glucose, electrical stimulation of the VMH significantly reduced
the levels of these gastric parameters in 9 out of 12 animals. In the
remaining three animals, the tip of the electrode had been placed in an
area outside the VMH. These findings suggest that VMH is not a homogeneous
neuron group, and both excitatory and inhibitory neurons probably play a
role in regulating gastric functions.
