Effect of glucose on the polysensory properties of neurons of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus

: Extracellular recording of unit activity in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus performed in anesthetized and immobilized cats revealed the convergence of impulses of different modality on these neurons: induced by somatic, visceral and sound stimuli. The capacity of hypothalamic neurons (32%) to converge influences was increased after i.v. administration of 10 ml of 20% glucose solution. The firing rate was increased in 19% cases and the phase of the reaction was reversed in 23% neurons. The main type of the responses involved excitation in all the cells under study.