Lateral hypothalamic control of metabolic factors related to feeding.

States of hunger and satiety are under ischymetric (i.e., rate of cellular energy production) control which depends on both substrate availability and hormonal composition. The latter varies in response to external (olfactory, gustatory and gastrointestinal) stimuli sensed by specific receptors and projected on lateral hypothalamic (LH) units from which departs the descendant control pathway of metabolic glands. This neurohormonal loop is responsible for the anticipatory glycemic and other changes observed during a meal and the preabsorptive "satiation" ending the meal long before the postabsorptive cellular repletion will induce the state of more permanent "satiety". New data on LH "sweet" taste projection and hypothalamo-pancreatic control are shown and strengthen the above view.