Characterization of feeding behavior induced by central injection of GRF.

The behavior resulting from injection of rat hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 pmol) into the suprachiasmatic nucleus-medial preoptic area (SCN/MPOA) or the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus was examined. After injections of GRF, feeding and other behavioral responses of male Wistar rats were observed for 90 min. In the SCN/MPOA, GRF dose dependently increased food intake, increasing mean meal length at 0.1 pmol and increasing rate of eating with no effect on meal length at 1.0 pmol. Other behavioral measures were unaffected by GRF. There was no effect after injections into the PVN. These data are taken as confirmation that the SCN/MPOA region of the hypothalamus is important for the central stimulatory effects of GRF on feeding. The possibility that the PVN is involved in the expression of feeding derived from intra-SCN/MPOA GRF injections is discussed.