Effect of clonidine and phentolamine on self-stimulation behavior in the dorsal and ventral regions of the lateral hypothalamus in mice.

The effects of IP injections of increasing doses of clonidine and phentolamine on self-stimulation behavior (ICSS) in the dorsal and ventral regions of the lateral hypothalamus were studied in C57BL/6 mice. Clonidine specifically stimulates alpha-noradernergic receptors and has two distinct effects on ICSS. Ventral hypothalamic ICSS is immediately depressed at low doses (5 microgram/kg) whereas dorsal ICSS exhibits a discrete increase. At higher doses, ICSS is perturbed at both sites. Phentolamine is a specific blocking agent of alpha-noradrenergic receptors and depresses dorsal ICSS more than that of the ventral region. These observations clearly indicate a noradrenergic influence in the dorsal region of the hypothalamus.