Neurotensin: Effects of hypothalamic and intravenous injections on eating and drinking in rats

• Published in: Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980) Vol. 4; no. 4; pp. 493 - 500
• Main Authors: Stanley, B.G., Hoebel, B.G., Leibowitz, S.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.07.1983; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drinking behavior; Drinking Behavior - drug effects; Feeding behavior; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; Food Deprivation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hypothalamus; Injections, Intravenous; Injections, Intraventricular; Male; Motor Activity - drug effects; Neuropeptides; Neurotensin; Neurotensin - administration & dosage; Neurotensin - pharmacology; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - drug effects; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus - physiology; Paraventricular nucleus; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sleep - drug effects; Stereotyped Behavior - drug effects; Neuropeptides; Feeding behavior; Neurotensin; Hypothalamus; Paraventricular nucleus; Drinking behavior; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Brain (Vertebrata); Beverage; Diencephalon; Neuropeptide
• ISSN: 0196-9781; 1873-5169
• DOI: 10.1016/0196-9781(83)90054-2

To investigate a role for the brain-gut peptide neurotensin (NT) in ingestive behavior, changes in food and water intake of food-deprived rats were examined following injection of NT into the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) or the mesenteric vein. Unilateral PVN NT (2.5, 5.0, 10.0 μg/0.3 μl) produced substantial dose-dependent reductions in total food intake 0.5, 1, and 4 hr postinjection. In contrast, PVN NT had no effect on water intake and produced no change in grooming, rearing, sleeping, resting or locomotor activity. Bilateral PVN NT at a high dose (10.0 μg/side) suppressed consumption of solid or liquid diet in food-deprived rats, but did not affect water intake in water-deprived rats. This specificity is consistent with a role for CNS NT in feeding behavior. Intravenous NT (1–1000 pmole/kg/min for 30 min) did not specifically suppress food intake; however, low doses did increase water intake in food-deprived rats. These findings do not support a role for plasma NT in feeding, but do suggest that it may play a role in drinking behavior.