Exposure to sweetened solutions enhances the anorectic effect of naloxone but not d-fenfluramine

Abstract

The effects of prolonged exposure of rats to sweetened caloric (sucrose) and non-caloric (saccharin) solutions on subsequent sensitivity to the anorectic effects of naloxone and d-fenfluramine were investigated in a series of experiments. In Experiment 1, rats given 18 days exposure to 10% sucrose showed greater sensitivity to the anorectic effects of naloxone (0.125-1.0 mg/kg, IP) in a separate feeding test, than did controls or rats exposed to 0.2% saccharin. This effect was replicated in Experiment 2, and here rats exposed to a palatable quinine-sucrose solution that was less preferred than saccharin also showed an enhanced sensitivity to naloxone, similar to that seen in the group exposed to sucrose alone. In Experiment 3, prior exposure to sucrose, quinine-sucrose or saccharin had no effect on the anorectic effects of dexfenfluramine (1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg), while the effect of naloxone (1.0 mg/kg SC) was enhanced by exposure to the two sucrose solutions. All sucrose-exposed rats gained more weight than did control or saccharin-exposed rats. These data suggest that the consumption of palatable calorie-containing solutions selectively alters sensitivity to naloxone, and a number of possible explanations are discussed.