Abstract
Twenty neurons in the subfornical organ (SFO) were antidromically activated by electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) in the rat. Electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) excited the activity of 12 identified units, but did not affect that of the remaining units. The excitatory responses to LHA stimulation were blocked by microiontophoretically applied saralasin (Sar), an angiotensin II (AII) antagonist. These results suggest that the LHA has an excitatory influence on the activity of SFO neurons projecting to the SON and that the influence may be mediated by AII receptors.
