AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF THE GLUCOSTATIC THEORY OF REGULATION OF FOOD INTAKE1

Abstract

The most popular of the current hypotheses on regulation of food intake is the "glucostatic" theory proposed by Mayer (1). In essence this hypothe- sis states a) that "glucoreceptors" in the central nervous system (probably the hypothalamus) are sensitive to the rate at which they are utilizing glucose, b) that low utilization rates excite neural activity leading to hunger sensations and food-tak- ing and high utilization rates produce the opposite effect, and c) that peripheral arterio-venous glu- cose differences serve as an index of utilization rates by the glucoreceptors in the central nervous system.