[Neuronal reactions of the lateral area of the hypothalamus in the rat to stimulation of taste and viscerochemoreceptors].

Unit activity from the rat lateral hypothalamic area was studied in stimulation of tongue taste receptors and chemoreceptors of intestine with salt and acid solutions. 80% of neurons were found to exhibit regular changes in rate of discharges evoked chemical stimulation of either one ("taste", "viscerochemical") or both receptive areas ("convergence" type). When different concentrations of NaCl were applied for stimulation of visceroreceptors, the most pronounced response occurred in minimal (0.05 M) and maximal (0.3 M) concentrations of NaCl used. Some units selectively responded to only one solution. Neurons responding to more than one solution could increase their rate of discharges in one solution and decrease it in another. In "convergence" neurons these distinctions were revealed during application of the same solutions to different receptive zones.