The effects of intrahypothalamic hemicholinium-3 on muricide, irritability and feeding.

Male Long-Evans rats that consistently killed mice when food deprived were injected unilaterally in the lateral hypothalamus with 20 micrograms and 30 micrograms of the acetylcholine synthesis inhibitor hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) and saline in a counterbalanced order. Rats were evaluated 1, 2, 3, 24, 48 and 72 hours post-injection for effects on muricide, irritability and feeding. HC-3 suppressed muricide and feeding and produced a trend toward reduced irritability during the first three hours post-injection. These data indicate that modulation of cholinergic systems in the lateral hypothalamus influences several behaviors and not any one behavior specifically.