PEGylated cholecystokinin is more potent in inducing anorexia than conditioned taste aversion in rats

• Published in: British journal of pharmacology Vol. 155; no. 3; pp. 417 - 423
• Main Authors: Verbaeys, I, León‐Tamariz, F, Pottel, H, Decuypere, E, Swennen, Q, Cokelaere, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2008; Nature Publishing; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 2‐NAP; Animals; Anorexia - chemically induced; Aspartic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Aspartic Acid - pharmacology; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; cholecystokinin; Cholecystokinin - administration & dosage; Cholecystokinin - chemistry; Cholecystokinin - pharmacology; conditioned taste aversion; devazepide; Devazepide - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Injections, Intraperitoneal; malaise; Male; Medical sciences; Naphthalenesulfonates - pharmacology; PEGylated cholecystokinin; Peptide Fragments - administration & dosage; Peptide Fragments - chemistry; Peptide Fragments - pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptor, Cholecystokinin A - drug effects; Receptor, Cholecystokinin A - metabolism; Research Papers; Saccharin; satiety; Satiety Response - drug effects; Taste; Anorexia; PEGylated cholecystokinin; Rat; Rodentia; conditioned taste aversion; Devazepide; Gustative system; Neuropeptide; Ethylene oxide polymer; Vertebrata; Mammalia; 2-NAP; CCKA cholecystokinin receptor; Gustation; Animal; Satiety; Taste; Antagonist; Cholecystokinin; Conditioned aversion; Pegylated form; malaise; Hormonal receptor
• ISSN: 0007-1188; 1476-5381
• DOI: 10.1038/bjp.2008.257

Background and purpose: The physiological involvement of endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) in the termination of feeding has been challenged by evidence of aversive effects of exogenous CCK8. We previously prolonged the anorectic effect of CCK by conjugation to polyethylene glycol (PEGylation) to produce PEG‐CCK9. In this study, we investigated the ability of different doses of PEG‐CCK9 to induce conditioned taste aversion (CTA) and satiety and identified the receptors involved in CTA induction. Experimental approach: Induction of CTA, measured by the saccharin preference ratio determined in a two‐bottle CTA procedure, and of satiety in adult male Wistar rats after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of different doses of PEG‐CCK9 (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 μg kg−1) was compared. Devazepide (100 μg kg−1) and 2‐NAP (3 mg kg−1), two selective CCK1‐receptor antagonists, were co‐administered i.p. with PEG‐CCK9 (8 μg kg−1) and the CTA effects monitored. Key results: PEG‐CCK9 dose‐dependently induced CTA, with a minimal effective dose of 8 μg kg−1, whereas the minimal effective dose to induce satiety was 1 μg kg−1. The CTA effects of PEG‐CCK9 were completely abolished by i.p. administration of devazepide prior to PEG‐CCK9 treatment and only partially abolished by administration of 2‐NAP. Conclusions and implications: Although PEG‐CCK9‐induced satiety and PEG‐CCK9‐induced CTA both increased with dose, the conjugate was more potent in inducing satiety, suggesting that the anorexia could not be completely attributed to the aversiveness of the drug. As observed with induction of satiety, PEG‐CCK9‐induced CTA was mediated by CCK1‐receptors. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 155, 417–423; doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.257; published online 23 June 2008