Stimulation of lateral hypothalamic kainate receptors selectively elicits feeding behavior

Glutamate and its receptor agonists, NMDA, AMPA, and KA, elicit feeding when microinjected into the lateral hypothalamus (LH) of satiated rats. However, determining the relative contributions of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) and KA receptors (KARs) to LH feeding mechanisms has been difficult due to a lack of receptor selective agonists and antagonists. Furthermore, LH injection of KA produces behavioral hyperactivity, questioning a role for KARs in feeding selective stimulation. In the present study, we used the KAR agonist, (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-tert-butylisoxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid (ATPA), which selectively binds the GluR5 subunit of KARs, to stimulate feeding, presumably via KAR activation. Using ATPA, we tested whether: (1) LH injection of ATPA elicits feeding, (2) prior treatment with the non-selective AMPA/KAR antagonist, CNQX, suppresses ATPA-elicited feeding, and (3) LH injection of ATPA elicits behavioral patterns specific for feeding. We found that injection of ATPA (0.1 and 1 nmol) elicited an intense feeding response (e.g., 4.8 ± 1.6 g) that was blocked by LH pretreatment with CNQX, but was unaffected by pretreatment with the AMPAR selective antagonist, GYKI 52466. Furthermore, minute-by-minute behavioral analysis revealed that LH injection of ATPA increased time spent feeding to 55% of the initial test period with little or no effects on other behaviors at any time. In contrast, LH injection of KA similarly increased feeding but also produced intense locomotor activity. These data suggest that selective activation of LH KARs containing GluR5 subunit(s) is sufficient to elicit feeding.