Food and water intake responses of the domestic fowl to norepinephrine infusion at circumscribed neural sites.

The effect on food and water intake of injection of norepinephrine into circumscribed brain sites of the domestic fowl was investigated. Injection of norepinephrine into sites throughout the preoptic area caused reliable increases in food intake. Food intake was also increased by injection of norepinephrine in the ventromedial nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, and medial septal sites. Food intake was decreased by injections near the lateral septal organ and the anterior portion of both the nucleus reticularis superior, pars dorsalis, and the tractus occipitomesencephalicus. Within the preoptic area, water intake was increased at basolateral sites but was inconsistently affected at more medial sites. No consistent trends were noted at sites examined outside the preoptic-hypothalamic area.