Figure 3.

LepR^LH neurons limit water intake despite thirst

(A) Representative Ca²⁺ traces. Scale bar, x = 50 s, y = 0.5 SD.

(B) Proportion of neurons responsive to water exposure. Total, n = 263; water-responsive, n = 127 neurons, 5 mice, 2 imaging days. ^∗∗∗p < 0.001, Pearson’s χ² test.

(C) Proportion of water-excited (We) and water-inhibited neurons (Wi). Ad libitum: total, n = 111; We, n = 10; Wi, n = 27; water deprived: total, n = 152; We, n = 30; Wi, n = 60 neurons, 5 mice. ns, p = 0.053; ^∗p = 0.0288, Pearson’s χ² test for equality of proportions.

(D and E) Optogenetic activation for 10 min in free access enclosure following water deprivation.

(D) Time spent at water location. YFP, n = 8; ChR, n = 8 mice. ^∗∗p = 0.0094, Mann-Whitney U test.

(E) Water intake. YFP, n = 8; ChR, n = 7 mice. ^∗∗p = 0.0035, Student’s t test.

(F and G) Neural response to deprived stimulus.

(F) Example map of the same neurons detected following acute food or water deprivation. Scale bar reflects amplitude of Ca²⁺ signal at stimulus location.

(G) Response of individual neurons to deprived stimulus following acute food or water deprivation. n = 75 neurons, 5 mice. Inset: ns, p = 0.94; paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

(H) Relative intake during 10 min of optogenetic activation in free access enclosure. As in (E), ns, p = 0.43; Mann-Whitney U test.

Data shown are mean ± SEM. ns, not significant; ^∗p < 0.05, ^∗∗p < 0.01, ^∗∗∗p < 0.001.

See also Figures S5 and S8.