Somatic parameters, organ growth, and plasma substrates in weanling rats with lateral hypothalamic lesions one month postoperatively.

Somatic and some metabolic aspects of the syndrome that follows bilateral destruction of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) have been studied primarily in mature rats. Fewer data are available for the weanling rat. Weanling Sprague-Dawley rats received small (10 mC) bilateral electrolytic lesions (LHAL). Sham-operated controls were pair-gained to LHAL rats (CON-PG) or fed ad lib (CON-ADLIB). All rats were killed 1 month after LHAL. Both LHAL and CON-PG weighed less, had less carcass fat, and were shorter than CON-ADLIB. Also, LHAL were somewhat, but significantly (SIGN), shorter than CON-PG. Rats with LHAL has less carcass protein than CON-ADLIB in percent but not in absolute terms. Liver, epididymal fat pads, diaphragm, kidneys adrenals, testes, spleen, and heart grew SIGN smaller in LHAL vs. CON-ADLIB, but in no instance was there a SIGN difference between LHAL and CON-PG. In body weight percentage, some of these differences (liver, kidneys, heart) were not SIGN. Both LHAL and CON-PG had larger adrenals than CON-ADLIB and both LHAL and CON-PG had SIGN less protein in their livers, epididymal fat pads, and diaphragm than CON-ADLIB. In organ weight percentage, however, LHAL rats had more protein in their livers and fat pads than CON-ADLIB and LHAL rats had less protein in fat pads than CON-PG in absolute but not in percent organ weight terms. Plasma glucose was similar in all groups, but LHAL had SIGN lower triglycerides and total cholesterol than CON-ADLIB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)