Effects of malnutrition in utero and during lactation on various parameters of the small intestine in rats

Short and long term effects of malnutrition on the small intestine, applied to the rat in uterus and lactation, have been studied. Malnutrition was induced by feeding the pregnant rats on 14 g daily during pregnancy and 21 g during lactation. In the pups (0, 15, 30, 90 and 150 days old), body weight and wet and dry weight and length of small intestine were measured. At 2.5-3 months of age, food transformation efficiency was studied, at 3 and 5 months of age in vivo intestinal absorption of D-glucose (11 mM) was measured. The results indicate a significant decrease in intestinal morphometric parameters in malnourished animals from birth to the age of 5 months. At the age of 3 months both food transformation efficiency and in vivo absorption of glucose were significantly higher in early undernourished animals, whereas at 5 months, glucose absorption was significantly higher in control. It can thus be concluded that early malnutrition altered the small intestine development and functionality and that total recovery did not occur after 4 months on a normal diet.     

Effects of corticocerebellar lesions on taste preferences, body weight gain, food and fluid intake in the rat.

The experiments reported here attempted to examine in two groups of rats the effects on the taste preferences, food and fluid intake, energy balance and body weight gain of corticocerebellar lesions involving, primarily, the Lobulus VI (LVI) or the Lobulus Paramedianus (LP). The results showed that the lesions of LVI or LP did not affect the daily intake of total fluid and salty solution. The intake of sweet solution increased in both groups of lesioned rats, while the intake of deionized water and acid and bitter solutions decreased only in the LVI lesioned rats. Food intake decreased in the LVI-lesioned rats but not in the LP-lesioned animals. Body weight gain, efficiency of food utilization, caloric intake and body surface gain decreased in both groups. It seems therefore that the cerebellar cortex, which probably receives taste fibers, somehow influences taste preferences and water intake, and that it may be involved in the mechanisms of food intake, its utilization and body energy balance.     

High intensity exercise during pregnancy of rats. Effects on mother and offspring

We see in this study the effect of high intensity exercise (90% VO₂ max) in pregnant rats and their offspring depending on the length of pregnancy. The findings were compared with those obtained for sedentary pregnant rats and non-pregnant rats for similar exercise. This allowed for analysing the isolated effects of exercise (against the sedentary non-pregnant rat control group), of pregnancy and of the interaction between the two factors. For checking the effect of the length of pregnancy, each group of rats was subdivided into those with pregnancy terminated or sacrificed on the seventh, fourteenth or twentieth day of the experiment. VO₂ max, post-exertion blood lactic acid level, body weight gain, food intake, feed efficiency, glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, total protein and albumin plasmatic concentrations in adult rats, and weight and number of offspring of pregnant rats were determined. Pregnancy increased weight gain and feed efficiency from the first week of the study, accompanied by a greater food intake (from the twelfth day). In the group of pregnant rats subjected to exercise, there was a reduction in weight gain percentage and feed efficiency in the first and third weeks, staying the same in the second week. A greater food intake during the period accompanied this recovery in the second week. In the group of non-pregnant rats subjected to exercise, food intake did not vary. As the weight gain percentage was less in relation to the non-pregnant control group, feed efficiency decreased. Pregnancy induced a drop in blood sugar level starting in the second week, and the exercise performed during pregnancy did not change this behavior. Pregnancy produced, however, an increase in plasmatic concentration of triglycerides and total cholesterol during the third week of pregnancy. Exercise performed by pregnant rats also did not change this behavior, but the increase observed in the third week was less. Exercise performed by non-pregnant rats did not change the blood sugar level and plasmatic concentration of triglycerides and total cholesterol during the entire experiment. Plasmatic concentration of total proteins and albumin showed a drop in the third week of pregnancy, probably due to high fetal use of proteins in this stage. Exercise performed by the pregnant group caused a lower protein drop in the third week, and in the non-pregnant group, determined an increase in plasmatic protein concentrations. The weight of the offspring of mother rats exercised until the end of the second and third weeks of pregnancy was found to be reduced in relation to the sedentary pregnant group. The group exercised until the third week showed a reduction in the number of offspring, indicating a possible fetal reabsorption. These findings confirmed that high intensity exercise can produce deleterious effects on the mother and fetus, especially when applied up to the last stage of pregnancy.     

Lipoic acid prevents body weight gain induced by a high fat diet in rats: Effects on intestinal sugar transport

Several studies have suggested that oxidative stress might cause and aggravate the inflammatory state associated with obesity and could be the link between excessive weight gain and its related disorders such as insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, antioxidant treatment has been proposed as a therapy to prevent and manage obesity and associated complications. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of supplementation of a standard or high fat diet with the antioxidant lipoic acid (LA) during 56 days, on body weight gain, adiposity, feed efficiency and intestinal sugar absorption, in male Wistar rats. LA supplementation induced a lower body weight gain and adipose tissue size in both control or high fat fed rats accompanied by a reduction in food intake. The group fed on a high fat diet and treated with LA (OLIP group) showed a lower body weight gain than its corresponding Pair-Fed (PF) group (P<0.05), which received the same amount of food than LA-treated animals but with no LA. In fact, LA induced a reduction on feed efficiency and also significantly decreased intestinal α-methylglucoside (α-MG) absorption both in lean and obese rats. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of dietary supplementation with LA on body weight gain are mediated, at least in part, by the reduction observed in food intake and feed efficiency. Furthemore, the inhibitory action of LA on intestinal sugar transport could explain in part the lower feed efficiency observed in LA-treated animals and therefore, highlighting the beneficial effects of LA on obesity.     

Estrogenic regulation of body weight in the female rat.

For a period of weeks subsequent to bilateral ovariectomy, female rats given unlimited access to food increased their food intakes and the rates at which they gained body weight; this resulted in elevated levels of body weight. Restricting ovariectomized (ovx) rats to their preoperative level of food intake (restricted diet), prevented this excessive gain in body weight. Estradiol benzoate (EB) treatments of 0.5 μg per day for 15 consecutive days partially reversed pre-occurring weight gain in obese ovx rats; this was accompanied by a reduction in food intake. In contrast, identical EB treatment for nonobese ovx rats (restricted diet) did not result in any loss of body weight or change in food intake. Oil-treated nonobese ovx rats gained a small amount of weight relative to their EB-treated counterparts, despite the similarity in their food intakes. Thus, part of the increased weight gain observed after ovariectomy may be independent of changes in food consumption, and related to removal of estrogenic influences from metabolic and behavioral processes involved in energy balance. The weight limiting actions of estradiol were far more pronounced in animals already obese or facing impending obesity than in animals in which excessive weight gain was prevented. The data also suggest that estradiol is more effective in preventing than in reversing the weight gain associated with ovariectomy, and that estrogenic influences on the body weight set point are manifested with very short latencies. These findings support earlier conclusions that estradiol does not regulate food intake directly, but secondarily controls consumption as a means of weight regulation.     

White tea consumption slightly reduces iron absorption but not growth,food efficiency,protein utilization,or calcium,phosphorus, magnesium,and zinc absorption in rats

We investigated the antinutritional effect of white tea extract (0, 15, and 45 mg of the tea solid extract per kilogram body weight) incorporated in the drinking water of rats for 3 and 30 days. Gender-based differences were found for all these variables, except apparent protein digestibility and the apparent absorption of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. White tea extract consumption did not significantly change body weight gain, food intake, food efficiency, protein efficiency ratio, apparent protein digestibility, nitrogen balance, or the apparent absorption of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. Nevertheless, the apparent absorption of iron was slightly (15–18%) but significantly (P < 0.05) lower in rats that consumed white tea at the highest dose compared with the control groups at both 3 and 30 days. Our results suggest that the usual consumption of white tea is safe, although its effect on long-term iron absorption at high doses warrants more detailed investigation.     

Effect of increased dietary calcium on body weight, food and water intake in oral contraceptive treated female rats

The effects of high calcium diet on body weight in OC treated rats are unknown. This study therefore investigated the effect of increasing dietary calcium from 0.9% to 2.5% on body weight, food ingestion, water intake, heart weight index and renal weight index in female Sprague-Dawley rats treated with a combination of OC steroids (ethinyloestradiol + norgestrel). The rats were assigned into three groups of average of 11 rats each; control, OC-treated and OC + Calcium – treated groups and administered orally for 10 weeks. Food and water intake, body weight, cardiac weight index, left ventricular weight index, renal weight index and serum calcium level were determined. The result shows that OC treated rats had significantly lower serum calcium concentration, body weight gain, food, water and calcium intake than those of the control rats. The OC + Calcium – treated rat had significantly higher serum calcium concentration, food, water and calcium intake but significantly lower body weight than those of the OC - treated rats. OC + Calcium - treated rats had significantly higher water intake, calcium intake and significantly lower body weight and food intake when compared with the control rats. Cardiac weight index and renal weight index was comparable in all groups. In conclusion, combined OC-induced reduction in weight gain might be associated with inhibition of the feeding center and consequent inhibition of the thirst center. Co-administration of dietary calcium augmented the reduction in weight gain seen in OC-treated rats probably by further suppression of the feeding and thirst centers.     

Lactational performance, consummatory behavior, and suppression of estrous cyclicity in rats suckling underfed pups

The role of pups' appetite in the regulation of maternal consummatory behavior (food intake of nursing mothers), lactational performance and postpartum diestrus was studied over a period of 45 days postpartum in rats chronically exposed to either underfed or normally fed pups. Experimental rats (n = 10) daily received 5 pups, 4-10-days-old, that had been deprived of food for the preceding 24 h while under the care of nonlactating foster mothers. Control rats (n = 10) received normally fed pups obtained daily from lactating foster mothers. Throughout the experimental period, the daily milk yield (estimated by litter weight gain), the intake of food and water by the mother, as well as the ratio of litter weight gain to mother's intake of food and water were all markedly higher in rats nursing underfed pups than in rats nursing normally fed pups. After a peak in lactation around Day 15 postpartum, experimental rats produced the same amount of milk during extended lactation as they did in the beginning of lactation, while control rats produced only half the amount of milk during extended lactation as they did in early lactation. Regardless of the nutritional state of the suckling pups, maternal body weight increased progressively over the first four weeks of lactation and remained unchanged during the time of extended lactation. The postpartum diestrus and the subsequent diestrous phase in the time of extended lactation were considerably longer in duration in rats that nursed underfed pups. On Day 45 of lactation, prolactin levels were higher and the adrenal glands were larger in experimental rats than in controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Induction and reversibility of insulin resistance in rats exposed to exogenous D-fructose.

Long-term exposure of normal rats to a fructose-enriched diet or drinking water is currently used as an animal model for experimental insulin resistance. The present study deals with a comparison between rats given access to either a fructose-enriched diet or fructose-enriched drinking water. In both situations, a decrease in food intake and body weight gain, and the induction of insulin resistance with intolerance to D-glucose despite increased secretory response to the aldohexose of insulin-producing cells were documented. Moreover, the rats exposed to exogenous D-fructose displayed a lesser sensitivity to overnight fasting than control animals, in terms of the alteration of glucose homeostasis and reduction of the ratio between plasma insulin and D-glucose concentration. It is also shown that the fructose-induced insulin resistance, as assessed in a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, represents a phenomenon reversed within 15-30 days after removal of the keto-hexose from the drinking water.     

Profiling of Energy Metabolism in Olanzapine‐Induced Weight Gain in Rats and Its Prevention by the CB1‐Antagonist AVE1625

This is the first study to examine the effect of subchronic olanzapine (OLZ) on energy homeostasis in rats, covering all aspects of energy balance, including energy intake as metabolizable energy, storage, and expenditure. We further analyzed whether, and by which mechanism, the CB1‐antagonist AVE1625 might attenuate OLZ‐induced body weight gain. For this purpose, we selected juvenile female Hanover Wistar rats that robustly and reproducibly demonstrated weight gain on OLZ treatment, accepting limitations to model the aberrations on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Rats received 2 mg/kg OLZ orally twice daily for 12 days. Body weight and body composition were analyzed. Moreover daily food intake, energy expenditure, and substrate oxidation were determined in parallel to motility and body core temperature. OLZ treatment resulted in substantial body weight gain, in which lean and fat mass increased significantly. OLZ‐treated rats showed hyperphagia that manifested in increased carbohydrate oxidation and lowered fat oxidation (FO). Energy expenditure was increased, motility decreased, but there was no indication for hypothermia in OLZ‐treated rats. Coadministration of OLZ and AVE1625 (10 mg/kg orally once daily) attenuated body weight gain, diminishing the enhanced food intake while maintaining increased energy expenditure and decreased motility. Our data reveal that energy expenditure was enhanced in OLZ‐treated rats, an effect not critically influenced by motility. Energy uptake, however, exceeded energy expenditure and led to a positive energy balance, confirming hyperphagia as the major driving factor for OLZ‐induced weight gain. Combination of OLZ treatment with the CB1‐antagonist AVE1625 attenuated body weight gain in rats.     

Reduction of paraquat-induced oxidative stress in rats by dietary soy peptide

The effect of a dietary soy protein isolate (SPI), soy peptide (PEP) and the amino acids in soy protein on paraquat (PQ)-induced oxidative stress was investigated in rats. In the first experiment, male Wistar rats were fed on experimental diets containing casein (CAS), SPI and PEP as nitrogen sources with or without 0.025% PQ. The reduced food intake and body weight gain of the rats fed with PQ was mitigated by either the SPI or PEP intake. Both SPI and PEP prevented the elevation of the serum TBARS concentration and tended to prevent the elevation of lung weight induced by PQ. In the second experiment, the rats were fed on diets containing an amino acid mixture resembling casein (CASAA) or soy protein (SPIAA) with or without PQ. The SPIAA intake did not affect the reduction of food intake and body weight gain, nor the elevation of lung weight and TBARS in the serum and liver induced by PQ. These results demonstrate that the intake of either dietary SPI or PEP, but not an amino acid mixture resembling soy protein, had the effect of reducing PQ-induced oxidative stress in rats.     

The efficiency of growth during body weight recovery in young adult female rats

1. Six young adult female rats were subjected to 40% body weight loss in 84 days by food restriction followed by recovery of body weight in 36.2 +/- 4.28 days by ad libitum food intake. The regimen was then repeated, with 40% body weight loss in 105 days followed by recovery of body weight in 22.8 +/- 2.00 days. 2. Food intakes were measured continuously. 3. These rats used digestible energy more efficiently during the second recovery (49.1 +/- 3.11 v. 77.3 +/- 7.91 kJ digestible energy intake per g body wt gain). 4. Seven rats were subjected to one body weight loss and recovery. Five of them had an efficiency of 44.1 +/- 3.34 kJ/g live wt gain which was not significantly different from that of the first group during their second recovery; they may not have been capable of improvement after a second deprivation. 5. It is concluded that some rats can adapt after a period of severe body weight loss and recovery to utilize food more efficiently during body weight recovery after a second episode.     

Effect of arsanilic acid on various growth parameters and sugar transport in the rat

The effects of arsanilic acid as promoter of faster growth on the nutrition index and intestinal absorption of galactose and arabinose has been studied in growing rats. The rats that received arsanilic acid 0.7 mg/day added to water showed gain in body weight and feed intake, I.T. (feed conversion ratio) decrease and P.E.R. (protein efficiency ratio) increase. A dose of 1.4 mg/day produced harmful effects. The in vitro intestinal transport of galactose and arabinose decreased and increased respectively in animals that received additive in comparison with controls.     

Chronic injection of pansomatostatin agonist ODT8-SST differentially modulates food intake and decreases body weight gain in lean and diet-induced obese rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the central actions of the stable pansomatostatin peptide agonist, ODT8-SST on body weight. ODT8-SST or vehicle was acutely (1μg/rat) injected or chronically infused (5μg/rat/d, 14d) intracerebroventricularly and daily food intake, body weight and composition were monitored. In lean rats, neither acute nor chronic ODT8-SST influenced daily food intake while body weight was reduced by 2.2% after acute injection and there was a 14g reduction of body weight gain after 14d compared to vehicle (p<0.01). In diet-induced obese (DIO) rats, chronic ODT8-SST increased cumulative 2-week food intake compared to vehicle (+14%, p<0.05) and also blunted body weight change (-11g, p<0.05). ODT8-SST for 14d reduced lean mass (-22g and -25g respectively, p<0.001) and total water (-19g and -22g respectively, p<0.001) in lean and DIO rats and increased fat mass in DIO (+16g, p<0.001) but not lean rats (+1g, p>0.05) compared to vehicle. In DIO rats, ODT8-SST reduced ambulatory (-27%/24h, p<0.05) and fine movements (-38%, p<0.01) which was associated with an increased positive energy balance compared to vehicle (+50g, p<0.01). Chronic central somatostatin receptor activation in lean rats reduces body weight gain and lean mass independently of food intake which is likely related to growth hormone inhibition. In DIO rats, ODT8-SST reduces lean mass but promotes food intake and fat mass, indicating differential responsiveness to somatostatin under obese conditions.     

AO-128, α-Glucosidase Inhibitor: Antiobesity and Antidiabetic Actions in Genetically Obese-Diabetic Rats,Wistar Fatty

Antiobesity and antidiabetic actions of the α-glucosidase inhibitor AO-128 were examined using genetically obese-diabetic rats, Wistar fatty. Ten-week-old, male fatty rats were kept on CE-2 diet containing 10 or 25 ppm of AO-128 for 4 weeks. The average drug intake was calculated to be 0.74 or 1.78 mg/kg/day from the average food intake, respectively. The intestinal maltase and sucrase activities were decreased by AO-128 in a dose-related fashion. Food intake of fatty rats treated with AO-128 was decreased throughout the experiment. This decrease in food intake could hardly be explained only by diarrhea which occurred for the first 5 day s of the administration of AO-128. AO-128 normalized hyperglycemia and markedly reduced hypertriglyceridemia and hyperinsulinemia in fatty rats. In addition, AO-128 decreased body weight gain, food efficiency, epididymal adipose tissue weight, carcass weight, and body fat deposition. These findings indicate that AO-128 may be useful for treating human obesity and diabetes.     

Characterization of mice lacking the gene for cholecystokinin

CCK acts peripherally as a satiating peptide released during meals in response to lipid feeding and centrally functions in the modulation of feeding, exploratory, and memory activities. The present study determined metabolic parameters, food intake, anxiety-like behaviors, and cognitive function in mice lacking the CCK gene. We studied intestinal fat absorption, body composition, and food intake of CCK knockout (CCK-KO) mice by using the noninvasive measurement of intestinal fat absorption along with quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) imaging and the DietMax system, respectively. Additionally, exploratory and memory capacities were assessed by monitoring running wheel activity and conducting elevated plus-maze and Morris water-maze tests with these mice. Compared with wild-type (WT) littermate controls, CCK-KO mice had normal food intake, fat absorption, body weight, and body mass. CCK-KO mice ate more food than control animals during the light period and less food during the dark period. Energy expenditure was unchanged between the genotypes; however, CCK-KO mice displayed greater fatty acid oxidation. CCK-KO mice were as active as WT animals in the running wheel test. CCK-KO mice spent more time in the closed arms of an elevated plus-maze, indicative of increased anxiety. Additionally, CCK-KO mice exhibited attenuated performance in a passive avoidance task and impaired spatial memory in the Morris water maze test. We conclude that CCK is involved in metabolic rate and is important for memory and exploration. CCK is intimately involved in multiple processes related to cognitive function and food intake regulation.     

The effect of acarbose on the food intake, weight gain, and adiposity of LA/N-cp rats.

1. Groups of lean and obese LA/N-cp rats were administered the intestinal glucosidase inhibitor acarbose at 150 or 300 mg/kg diet from 7 until 17 weeks of age and the effects of the drug on food intake patterns and adiposity determined. 2. Dose related effects on body weights, adiposity and feed efficiency ratio were observed (control greater than 150 mg greater than 300 mg drug/kg diet) following treatment in both phenotypes, with the greatest differences observed in the obese phenotype. 3. Acarbose at both dosages was associated with phenotype-specific alterations in food intake amount and feeding pattern, resulting in an attenuation of age-associated increases in food intake. The feed efficiency ratio decreased in both phenotypes, and approached normally fed lean controls in obese rats administered the greater dosage. 4. These results indicate that patterns of food intake and weight gain differ markedly between lean and obese rats of this strain, and acarbose brings about a dose-related attenuation of developing food intake patterns in both phenotypes and which are associated with decreases in weight gain and adiposity. Thus, this drug may have therapeutic potential as an adjunct agent in the treatment of obesity and/or other disorders of carbohydrate intolerance.     

Systemic injections of gastro-intestinal peptides alter behavior in rats

Twenty-four male albino rats were given daily intraperitoneal injections of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), motilin, human gastrin I (1–17) or the diluent control vehicle at a dose of 100 μg/kg for four consecutive days and food intake, water intake, body weight, and running wheel activity were determined every 24 hours. Animals injected with motilin or human gastrin I (1–17) exhibited decreased food intake relative to those injected with VIP or diluent, which did not differ from each other, although food intake increased reliably over days. The mean water consumption followed the same pattern as that of food intake. As expected from the above results, VIP produced weight gains as compared with rats injected with motilin or gastrin but not reliably more than after diluent. A reliable effect of trials for weight gain was the greatest on day three. Running wheel activity was not affected by injections of human gastrin I (1–17), motilin, or diluent but was reliably decreased by VIP. No significant differences existed across days. Although the results indicate that GI peptides may affect behavior when injected systemically and that like other peptides they have multiple effects, caution is urged in the interpretation of behavioral results at this time.     

GLP-1 induces alpha cell proliferation and overrides leptin suppression induced by negative energy balance in vagotomized rats

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) influences energy balance by exerting effects on food intake and glucose metabolism, through mechanisms that are partially dependent on the vagal pathway. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of chronic GLP-1 stimulation on energy homeostasis and glucose metabolism in the absence of vagal innervation Truncal vagotomized (VGX) and sham operated rats (SHAM) received an intraperitoneal GLP-1 infusion (3.5 pmol/kg/min) trough mini-osmotic pumps. To dissect the effects derived from vagal denervation on food intake, an additional group was included consisting of sham operated rats that were PAIR FED to VGX. Food intake and body weight were recorded throughout the experimental period, while the percentage of white and brown adipose tissue, fasting glucose, insulin, gastro-intestinal hormonal profile, hypothalamic, and BAT gene expression were assessed at endpoint. VGX rats had significantly lower food intake, body weight gain, and leptin levels when compared with SHAM rats. Despite having similar body weight, PAIR-FED rats had lower fasting leptin, insulin and insulin resistance, while having higher ghrelin levels than VGX. GLP-1 infusion did not influence food intake or body weight, but was associated with lower leptin levels in VGX and lower pancreatic α-cells ki-67 staining in SHAM. Concluding, this study corroborates that the vagus nerve may modulate whole body energy homeostasis by acting in peripheral signals. Our data suggest that in the absence of vagal or parasympathetic tonus, GLP-1 mediated inhibition of cell proliferation markers in α-cells is prevented, meanwhile leptin suppression, associated with a negative energy balance, is partially overridden.     

Pharmacological actions of the peptide hormone amylin in the long-term regulation of food intake, food preference, and body weight

The ability of amylin to reduce acute food intake in rodents is well established. Longer-term administration in rats (up to 24 days) shows a concomitant reduction in body weight, suggesting energy intake plays a significant role in mediating amylin-induced weight loss. The current set of experiments further explores the long-term effects of amylin (4-11 wk) on food preference, energy expenditure, and body weight and composition. Furthermore, we describe the acute effect of amylin on locomotor activity and kaolin consumption to test for possible nonhomeostatic mechanisms that could affect food intake. Four-week subcutaneous amylin infusion of high-fat fed rats (3-300 microg.kg(-1).day(-1)) dose dependently reduced food intake and body weight gain (ED(50) for body weight gain = 16.5 microg.kg(-1).day(-1)). The effect of amylin on body weight gain was durable for up to 11 wks and was associated with a specific loss of fat mass and increased metabolic rate. The body weight of rats withdrawn from amylin (100 microg.kg(-1).day(-1)) after 4 wks of infusion returned to control levels 2 wks after treatment cessation, but did not rebound above control levels. When self-selecting calories from a low- or high-fat diet during 11 wks of infusion, amylin-treated rats (300 microg.kg(-1).day(-1)) consistently chose a larger percentage of calories from the low-fat diet vs. controls. Amylin acutely had no effect on locomotor activity or kaolin consumption at doses that decreased food intake. These results demonstrate pharmacological actions of amylin in long-term body weight regulation in part through appetitive-related mechanisms and possibly via changes in food preference and energy expenditure.