Effect of ammonia via prepyriform cortex on regulation of food intake in the rat.

Studies were made on whether ammonia, which is an obligatory intermediate of amino acid metabolism, depresses the food intake of rats fed a low-casein (basal) diet containing imbalanced amino acid mixtures (imbalanced diets). Bilateral lesions in the prepyriform cortex caused normalization of food intake of rats fed amino acid-imbalanced diets, confirming the work of Leung and Rogers (Am. J. Physiol. 221:929-935, 1971). Unlike normal rats, animals with prepyriform cortical lesions consumed as much of a diet containing 3% NH4Cl as they did of the basal diet. However, like normal rats, they rejected a diet containing a mixture of keto acids. Unilateral injection of NH4Cl into prepyriform cortical areas reduced the food intake to a greater extent than injection of NaCl into these areas or injection of NH4Cl into other parts of the brain. These results suggest that ammonium ions influence the appetite through their effect on prepyriform cortical areas.