A role for the medial region of the amygdala in mineralocorticoid-induced salt hunger.

Damage to the medial region of the amygdala abolished aldosterone-induced salt hunger in the rat. In contrast, the salt hungers that are induced by adrenalectomy or by acute sodium depletion are left intact by the same brain damage. We suggest (a) that we have identified part of the neural circuit by which aldosterone participates in the genesis of salt hunger in the intact, sodium-depleted rat and (b) that these results provide further evidence for the hypothesis that there are separate receptive systems in the brain for the participation of aldosterone and angiotensin in the arousal of salt hunger.