Alteration of ingestive behaviours by nucleus accumbens in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Twenty-four hour basal food and water intakes were recorded in Wistar rats. Diabetes was produced in a group of rats by injecting streptozotocin (STZ, 75 mg/kg, b.w., IP) and their post-diabetic basal food and water intakes were recorded. Noradrenaline (2 microg) and dopamine (2 microg) were injected separately into the nucleus accumbens through the implanted cannula in non-diabetic and diabetic animals and their 24 hr food and water intakes were recorded. Food and water intakes were also recorded following bilateral electrolytic lesions of nucleus accumbens in both the groups of rats. In diabetic rats, basal food and water intakes were significantly increased in comparison to basal intakes of non-diabetic rats. Following injection of noradrenaline, a significant increase in water intake but not food intake was seen in non-diabetic rats, whereas food and water intakes remained unchanged in diabetic rats. Following injection of dopamine, a significant increase in food and water intakes was observed in non-diabetic rats, whereas dopamine-induced increase in food intake was absent in diabetic rats. The bilateral lesions of nucleus accumbens resulted in a significant inhibition of food and water intakes in non-diabetic rats, whereas inhibition of water intake without change in food intake observed in diabetic rats. However, no difference was observed in the pattern of change in water intake following lesions or dopamine injections between non-diabetic and diabetic rats, whereas difference was observed for food intake. The results suggest that nucleus accumbens activity changes for food intake, but not for water intake in diabetes.