[Serotonin, food intake and body weight]

Abstract

Various animal models of hyperphagia and obesity have made possible the study of the effect on food intake of dexfenfluramine, an agent which both inhibits reuptake and stimulates release of 5 HT. These are chronic overfeeding models (hereditary model: Zucker rat, hormonal origin: insulin, ovariectomy, lesions of the VMH, and models including palatable and varied diet: cafétéria diet) and also acute overfeeding models (deprived rats, tail pinch, "dessert" test, metabolic or neuropharmacologic stimuli). Dexfenfluramine administered by osmotic minipump (3 mg/kg/day for up to 4 weeks) reduces food intake and produces weight loss in most of these models.