It has previously been shown that agents that increase endogenous cAMP elicit robust eating when injected into the perifornical hypothalamus (PFH) but not when injected into surrounding brain sites, suggesting that PFH cAMP may play a role in eating control. We report here that bilateral microinjection of the adenylyl cyclase activator 7-deacetyl-7-O-(N-methylpiperazino)--butyryl-forskolin dihydrochloride (MPB forskolin; 300 nmol/0.3 µl) into the PFH is sufficient to elicit intense eating (up to 15.7 ± 2.3 g in 2 h) in satiated rats, without concomitant effects on other behaviors, including gnawing and drinking. In contrast, the inactive analog 1,9-dideoxyforskolin is ineffective, suggesting that the effects of MPB forskolin are behaviorally selective and pharmacologically specific. We also show that injection of the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89 (100 nmol) into the PFH reduced MPB forskolin-induced eating by up to 50%. Collectively, these results suggest that increased cAMP production in a single brain area may be sufficient to selectively generate a patterned, goal-oriented behavior by activating cAMP-dependent protein kinase.