The effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide on food intake involves aversive mechanisms

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), the product of the calcitonin gene produced primarily in the central nervous system, has been shown to decrease food intake when administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV). Testing of CGRP (ICV) in both single bottle conditioned-aversion and differential starvation paradigms was done. In both paradigms, results using CGRP were consistent with those predicted for aversive agents. Therefore, CGRP apparently decreases feeding via aversive mechanisms.