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Baclofen reduces fat intake under binge-type conditions.
Ariel Buda-Levin1, Francis H E Wojnicki, Rebecca L Corwin
1The Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development, Nutritional Sciences Department, University Park, 16802, USA.
Physiology & Behavior
|September 6, 2005
Summary
The GABA-B agonist baclofen effectively reduced fat intake in rats during binge-like eating patterns. This suggests baclofen may be a potential therapeutic for binge eating disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Baclofen, a GABA-B agonist, is known to reduce drug self-administration and shows clinical promise for substance abuse treatment.
- Previous research indicates baclofen does not typically reduce food intake in standard feeding models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of baclofen on fat intake within a specific fat-binge feeding protocol in rats.
- To determine if baclofen's effect on intake differs between binge-type fat consumption and continuous food access.
Main Methods:
- Thirty male rats were divided into three groups: binge (B), fat-matched (FM), and chow control (C).
- The binge group received limited access to vegetable shortening, while the fat-matched group consumed a mixture providing equivalent fat. Control rats received only chow.
- Baclofen was administered intraperitoneally at doses of 1.0 and 1.8 mg/kg to assess its impact on shortening and chow intake across different access conditions.
Main Results:
- Baclofen administration significantly reduced the intake of vegetable shortening in the binge group, irrespective of the access condition.
- Baclofen did not decrease, and in some cases stimulated, the intake of the fat-matched mixture or regular chow in the FM and C groups.
- These findings highlight a differential effect of baclofen on binge-type fat consumption versus regular food intake.
Conclusions:
- Baclofen demonstrates efficacy in reducing fat intake specifically under binge-eating conditions in a rat model.
- The results suggest that binge-eating behavior, as modeled in this study, may be mechanistically distinct from general food consumption.
- This research supports the potential of baclofen as a therapeutic agent for conditions characterized by binge-type eating patterns, potentially sharing similarities with substance abuse mechanisms.