Differential effects of CGS 8216 and naltrexone on ingestional behaviour

Acute behavioural effects of bupropion and naltrexone, alone and in combination, in non-deprived male rats presented with palatable mash

RATIONALE

In appetite research, drugs frequently progress to clinical trials on the basis of outcome (reduced food intake/body weight gain) with insufficient attention to process (behavioural analysis). Although bupropion and naltrexone (alone and in combination) reduce food consumption in rodents and humans, their effects on behaviour during feeding tests have not been thoroughly investigated.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the behavioural specificity of anorectic responses to bupropion, naltrexone and their combination.

METHODS

Video analysis was employed to characterise the behavioural effects of acute systemic treatment with bupropion (10.0-40.0 mg/kg), naltrexone (0.1-3.0 mg/kg) and combined bupropion (20 mg/kg) plus naltrexone (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) in non-deprived male rats exposed for 1 h to palatable mash. Particular attention was paid to the behavioural satiety sequence (BSS).

RESULTS

In experiment 1, the anorectic response to 40 mg/kg bupropion was associated with significant psychomotor stimulation and a complete disruption of the BSS. In experiment 2, the anorectic response to 3 mg/kg naltrexone was associated with an accelerated but otherwise normal BSS. In experiment 3, the co-administration of 20 mg/kg bupropion and naltrexone (0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg) not only produced an additive anorectic profile (including a reduced rate of eating), but the addition of the opioid receptor antagonist also concurrently attenuated the psychomotor stimulant response to the atypical antidepressant.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-dose co-treatment with naltrexone and bupropion produces a stronger suppression of appetite than that seen with either agent alone and has the additional advantage of reducing some of the unwanted effects of bupropion.

Preference or fat? Revisiting opioid effects on food intake

It is well established that opioid signaling in the central nervous system constitutes a powerful stimulus for food intake. The role of opioids in determining food preference, however, is less well defined. Opioids have been proposed to promote intake of preferred foods, or, alternatively, to preferentially increase consumption of fat. In the present manuscript, I comprehensively review results from previous studies investigating this issue. Data from these studies suggests a mechanism for opioid action that may reconcile the previously proposed hypotheses: opioid effects on food intake do appear to be largely specific for fat consumption, but individual animals' sensitivity to this effect may be dependent on baseline food preferences. In addition, I highlight the possibility that the selectivity of endogenous opioid effects may importantly differ from that of exogenous agonists in the degree to which baseline preferences, rather than macronutrient intake, are altered. The paper represents an invited review by a symposium, award winner or keynote speaker at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior [SSIB] Annual Meeting in Portland, July 2009.

Baclofen, raclopride, and naltrexone differentially affect intake of fat and sucrose under limited access conditions

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine, and opioids are implicated in impulse control, addiction and binge eating. Recent evidence suggests that sucrose alters the effects of GABAergic, dopaminergic, and opioid receptor ligands on consumption of a fatty food in a rat limited-access binge protocol. This study determined the independent effects of fat and sucrose on the efficacy of these ligands under limited-access conditions. Nonfood-deprived male Sprague-Dawley rats had 1 h access to fat (vegetable shortening) or sucrose (3.2, 10, or 32% w/v). Half had intermittent access (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and half had daily access. Effects of baclofen (GABAB agonist), SCH 23390 (D1 antagonist), raclopride (D2 antagonist), and naltrexone (opioid antagonist) were assessed. Baclofen and naltrexone reduced fat intake regardless of the access schedule. Baclofen had no effect on sucrose intake; naltrexone reduced sucrose intake at higher doses than were required to reduce fat intake. Raclopride stimulated fat intake in intermittent-access rats and had no effect in daily-access rats; raclopride reduced sucrose intake in all groups. SCH 23390 reduced intake in a nonspecific manner. The results indicate the involvement of GABAB receptors in fat but not sucrose intake, and of D2 receptor dysfunction in rats with a history of bingeing on fat.

Palatability-dependent appetite and benzodiazepines: new directions from the pharmacology of GABA(A) receptor subtypes

This paper updates an early review on benzodiazepine-enhanced food intake, published in the first issue of Appetite, and describes the considerable advances since then in the pharmacology of benzodiazepines, their sites and mechanisms of action, and in understanding the psychological processes leading to the increase in food consumption. A great diversity of benzodiazepine receptor ligands have been developed, many of which affect food intake. Agonists can be divided into full agonists (which produce the full spectrum of benzodiazepine effects) and partial agonists (which are more selective in their effects). In addition, inverse agonists have been identified, with high affinity for benzodiazepine receptors but having negative efficacy: these drugs exhibit anorectic properties. Benzodiazepine receptors are part of GABA(A) receptor complexes, and ligands thereby modulate inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain. Molecular approaches have identified a palette of receptor subunits from which GABA(A) receptors are assembled. In all likelihood, benzodiazepine-induced hyperphagia is mediated by the alpha2/alpha3 subtype not the alpha1 subtype. Novel alpha2/alpha3 selective compounds will test this hypothesis. A probable site of action in the caudal brainstem for benzodiazepines is the parabrachial nucleus. Behavioural evidence strongly indicates that a primary action of benzodiazepines is to enhance the positive hedonic evaluation (palatability) of tastes and foodstuffs. This generates the increased food intake and instrumental responding for food rewards. Therapeutic applications may derive from the actions of benzodiazepine agonists and inverse agonists on food procurement and ingestion.

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ and drugs of abuse

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NC) binds with high affinity to the opioid receptor-like1 (ORL1) receptor. NC has been reported to block opioid-induced supraspinal analgesia, and it has been proposed that it may represent a functional antiopioid peptide in the control of brain nociceptive processes. The wide distribution of NC and of its receptors in the central nervous system suggests, however, that it may be involved in the control of a variety of biologic functions. Increasing evidence indicates that it may influence the rewarding and reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse. NC has been shown to abolish the rewarding properties of ethanol and morphine in the place conditioning paradigm, to reduce ethanol consumption in alcohol-preferring rats and to inhibit stress-induced alcohol-seeking behavior. These findings suggest that drugs directed at central NC receptors may represent an interesting approach to the treatment of ethanol and opiate abuse.

Food cravings, endogenous opioid peptides, and food intake: a review

Extensive research indicates a strong relationship between endogenous opioid peptides (EOPs) and food intake. In the present paper, we propose that food cravings act as an intervening variable in this opioid-ingestion link. Specifically, we argue that altered EOP activity may elicit food cravings which in turn may influence food consumption. Correlational support for this opioidergic theory of food cravings is provided by examining various clinical conditions (e.g. pregnancy, menstruation, bulimia, stress, depression) which are associated with altered EOP levels, intensified food cravings, and increased food intake.

The benzodiazepine receptor partial agonist bretazenil and the partial inverse agonist Ro 15-4513: effects on salt preference and aversion in the rat

The general aim of the present series of experiments was to contrast the effects of the benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) partial agonist bretazenil and those of the partial inverse agonist Ro 15-4513 in two-choice tests between saline (0.9% or 1.8%) and water, using water-deprived rats. Since BZR agonists appear to enhance positive hedonic reactions to taste stimuli selectively, it was hypothesized that bretazenil (and a second BZR partial agonist Ro 17-1812) would selectively enhance intake of a preferred 0.9% salt solution, but not necessarily reduce the relative aversion to a more concentrated 1.8% salt solution, in these choice tests. The results were in general agreement with these hypotheses. Despite an earlier finding that Ro 15-4513 abolished sweet taste preference, there was no evidence here that it reduced the relative preference expressed for 0.9% NaCl solution. Moreover, Ro 15-4513 did not enhance the relative avoidance of the 1.8% NaCl solution. The BZR antagonist, flumazenil, had no effect on either salt preference or aversion. These results indicate that the type of taste stimulus (sweet or salt), the type of behavioural response (preference or aversion) and the type of BZR ligand (agonist, antagonist or inverse agonist) interact to determine the observed behavioural consequences in choice tests.

Effects of naltrexone on food preference and concurrent behavioral responses in food-deprived rats

Naltrexone (0.05-5.0 mg/kg, SC) was administered to food-deprived rats prior to a 15-min food-preference test. Total food intake and feeding duration was reduced following administration of the opiate antagonist. However, while naltrexone reduced the consumption of the initially-preferred chocolate-coated cookies, the ingestion of the nonpreferred standard laboratory chow pellets was significantly enhanced. These data cannot be explained in terms of a general anorexic effect and nonspecific suppression of feeding responses. Instead, they indicate that naltrexone reduced preference for the highly palatable cookies, so that a feeding response to the chow pellets emerged. Under the conditions of test-familiarity, naltrexone did not reduce grooming, locomotion or rearing duration. An increase in locomotion may have been secondary to the reduction in feeding. The results agree with previous data from animal and human studies in suggesting that endogenous opioid peptide activity is involved in the palatability of preferred foods.

Serotonin uptake blockers and voluntary alcohol consumption. A review of recent studies

Previous research demonstrated that serotonin uptake blockers (e.g., zimeldine, sertraline, fluoxetine) reduce voluntary ethanol consumption in rats and humans. However, the mechanism of action of these compounds is not well understood. It has been suggested, for example, that serotonin uptake blockade interferes with the processes that mediate the reinforcement derived from ethanol ingestion. On the other hand, there is considerable experimental evidence that suggests that the effects on alcohol intake may be an expression of a more general inhibitory role that serotonin plays in consummatory behavior. This chapter presents evidence that suggests that serotonin uptake blockers may affect ethanol intake, in part via a reduction of food intake. Current issues concerning the central versus peripheral mediation of these effects, receptor specificity, as well as alternate mechanisms of action are considered.

Endogenous opiates: 1987

This paper is the tenth installment of our annual review of the research during the past year involving the endogenous opiate system. It covers the nonanalgesia and behavioral studies of the opiate peptides published in 1987. The specific topics this year include stress; tolerance and dependence; eating; drinking; gastrointestinal and renal activity; learning, memory, and reward; cardiovascular responses; respiration and thermoregulation; seizures and other neurological disorders; electrical activity; locomotor activity; sex, pregnancy, and development; immunology and cancer; and other behavior.

Profile of the selective dopamine D-2 receptor agonist N-0437: its effects on palatability- and deprivation-induced feeding, and operant responding for food

N-0437 is a potent and highly selective dopamine D-2 receptor agonist, which has been used in the present series of experiments to investigate its potential anorectic properties. In doses of 0.3-3.0 mg/kg (IP), N-0437 significantly reduced consumption of a sweetened palatable mash in nondeprived mice (minimal effective dose, 0.3 mg/kg) and rats (minimal effective dose, 0.56 mg/kg). Reduction in food intake were also produced in rats by the less potent, but selective, D-2 agonist RU 24213 (effective at 10.0 mg/kg), and by d-amphetamine (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg). The anorectic effect of N-0437 (1.0 mg/kg) was completely antagonized by the selective D-2 antagonist, YM-09151-2 (0.01 mg/kg). Over a series of 10 injections, N-0437 (1.0 mg/kg) maintained its effect to reduce palatable food intake. In food-deprived rats, N-0437 (0.3-3.0 mg/kg, IP) also reduced consumption of standard laboratory food, and dose-dependently reduced operant responding for food under a FR8 schedule of reinforcement. The results of the experiments are discussed in terms of a possible direct effect to reduce feeding responses resulting from stimulation of postsynaptic dopamine D-2 receptors.

Endogenous opiates: 1986

This is the ninth installment of our annual review of research involving the endogenous opiate peptides. It is restricted to the non-analgesic and behavioral studies of the opiate peptides published in 1986. The specific topics this year include stress; tolerance and dependence; eating; drinking; gastrointestinal, renal, and hepatic processes; mental illness; learning, memory, and reward; cardiovascular responses; respiration and thermoregulation; seizures and other neurological disorders; activity; sex, pregnancy, and development; and some other behaviors.

Novel benzodiazepine receptor ligands stimulate intake of hypertonic NaCl solution in rehydrating rats

Experiments were conducted to determine the degree of generality of previous findings that anxiolytics increased the ingestion of hypertonic saline in rehydrating rats. Further, potential differential effects amongst recently described benzodiazepine receptor partial agonists were explored. Finally, the hypothesis that benzodiazepine receptor partial inverse agonists would decrease the ingestion of hypertonic NaCl solution was tested. Results indicated that full agonists (midazolam, ZK 93423, zopiclone) produced substantial dose-related increases in hypertonic saline consumption. The putative 5-HT1A agonist, buspirone, produced only a dose-dependent decrease in saline intake. Partial agonists fell into two distinct categories: ZK 91296, CL 218,872 and two novel benzodiazepines, Ro16-6028 and Ro17-1812, also increased saline ingestion. In contrast, two pyrazoloquinolines, CGS 9896 and CGS 9895, had no significant effect on intake. Two compounds, CGS 8216 and FG 7142, described as benzodiazepine partial inverse agonists, did not significantly affect consumption of the hypertonic saline.

The pyrazoloquinoline, CGS 8216, reduces sham feeding in the rat

The pyrazoloquinoline CGS 8216, a benzodiazepine receptor ligand, produced a dose-related (2.5-10.0 mg/kg, IP) attenuation of sham feeding a 30% sucrose solution by rats with open gastric fistulas. Ingestion was reduced by over 50% following the largest dose of CGS 8216 in a 60 min test. The initiation of sham feeding was not delayed by CGS 8216, but sham feeding was subsequently slowed over an extended test period. The suppressant effect of CGS 8216 was reversed by the specific benzodiazepine receptor antagonist Ro15-1788 (20 and 40 mg/kg, IP). Hence the effect of CGS 8216 on sham feeding may be mediated by benzodiazepine receptors, and is consistent therefore with the characterization of CGS 8216 as a benzodiazepine partial inverse agonist. In contrast to sham feeding, CGS 8216 (10.0 mg/kg, IP) did not affect sham drinking in 17 hr water-deprived rats. The results are discussed in relation to possible benzodiazepine receptor involvement in the neurochemical mediation of food palatability.

Partial agonists acting at benzodiazepine receptors can be differentiated in tests of ingestional behaviour

Several categories of compounds active at benzodiazepine receptors (BZR) in the brain have been distinguished: agonists, antagonists and the novel category of inverse agonist. In terms of their effects on ingestional responses (e.g., food, saline and water consumption), agonists increase levels of intake, inverse agonists reduce intake in some, if not all, tests, while antagonists block the effects of both agonists and inverse agonists. Attention is currently focussed upon a range of compounds which fall between full agonists and antagonists. These partial agonists are of particular interest since they act more selectively than full agonists, retaining effects in animal models of anxiolytic and anticonvulsant activity, for example, while largely lacking behaviourally-depressant effects. Recent data indicate that tests of ingestional behaviour distinguish between various BZR partial agonists. The benzodiazepines Ro23-0364, Ro16-6028 and Ro17-1812, as well as the beta-carboline ZK 91296, enhanced ingestional responses. The pyrazoloquinolines, CGS 9895 and CGS 9896, did not, but antagonized agonist-induced increases in ingestion.

Adrenalectomy and the anorectic effects of benzodiazepine inverse agonists and opiate antagonists in rats fed a palatable diet

The benzodiazepine (BZ) receptor inverse agonists, FG 7142 (1.25-10.0 mg/kg, IP) and CGS 8216 (2.5-20.0 mg/kg, IP), significantly attenuated the consumption of a palatable sweetened diet by non-deprived male rats in a 30 min test. Adrenalectomy failed to affect the reduction in food intake produced by these two drugs. Similarly, the anorectic effects of the opiate antagonists, naltrexone (0.3-3.0 mg/kg, SC) and diprenorphine (0.3-3.0 mg/kg, SC) in the same feeding paradigm were unaffected by adrenalectomy. So far as palatability-induced feeding in concerned, anorectic effects of BZ inverse agonists and opiate-antagonists appear to be adrenal-independent in the rat. The benzodiazepines, clonazepam (0.3 mg/kg, IP) and diazepam (1.0 mg/kg, IP), stimulated food consumption in both adrenalectomized and sham-operated animals.