Intraparaventricular neuropeptide Y and ghrelin induce learned behaviors that report food deprivation in rats.

Rats were trained to discriminate between 2 and 22-h food deprivation in a choice paradigm. During tests, 20 min of food consumption eliminated internal stimuli associated with 22-h food deprivation. In other tests, rats food-restricted for 2 h were given neuropeptide Y or ghrelin by administration into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.