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Science 23 April 1976:
Vol. 192. no. 4237, pp. 382 - 385
DOI: 10.1126/science.130678
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Articles

Science, Vol 192, Issue 4237, 382-385
Copyright © 1976 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Hyperphagia and obesity following serotonin depletion by intraventricular p-chlorophenylalanine

ST Breisch, FP Zemlan, and BG Hoebel

Loss of brain serotonin was associated with overeating and increased body weight. Rats injected with p-chlorophenylalanine intraventricularly began overeating after 3 days and continued to display marked hyperphagia, primarily in the daytime, accompanied by increased body weight for 1 to 2 weeks. The effect was related to drug dose and to the degree and duration of serotonin depletion. Norepinephrine and dopamine levels were not significantly affected. It is concluded that p-chlorophenylalanine disinhibits feeding, as it does a number of other behaviors, by depleting serotonin. This suggests that hypothalamic lesions or dietary deficiencies which selectively and sufficiently deplete serotonin would lead to overeating.


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