Influence of Reinforcer Palatability on FR-32 Operant Performance of Dorsolateral Tegmental Rats
Abstract
The effects of dorsolateral tegmental (DLT) lesions on female rats were examined through use of an operant barpress paradigm. The DLT lesioned rats exhibited hyperphagia and obesity. It was found that in DLT rats normal serum glucose levels existed in both day and night phases with hyperinsulinemia present during the day and the night. Interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) upon extraction was found to be less in DLT rats. Upon examination of acquisition of the barpress response no differences were found among the groups (control, DLT, operate controls) at fixed ratio (FR)-32 for chow pellets. Sucrose pellet and amphetamine (injected 30 minutes prior to chow pellet manipulation) both produced suppressed responding in the animals. So, although tegmental rats overeat and become obese, these effects may not be due to increased hunger motivation as indexed by an operant conditioning paradigm.
Description
Program year: 1982-1983Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Citation
Strobel, Roddy Marlene (1983). Influence of Reinforcer Palatability on FR-32 Operant Performance of Dorsolateral Tegmental Rats. University Undergraduate Fellows. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -StrobelR _1983.