Interaction of food deprivation with different measures of amphetamine effects

The effects of d-amphetamine (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg) on feeding, activity, and food-dish contact time of male Holtzman rats were investigated under 4 different levels of food deprivation (0, 12, 24, 36 hr). Differences in the amount of food deprivation significantly influenced the drug's effect on feeding and food-dish contact time, but not on activity. Also, differences in the amount of food deprivation significantly influenced the interrelationship (correlation) of amphetamine's effects on activity and food-dish contact time and on food-dish contact time and feeding, but not so much the interrelationship of the drug's effects on feeding and activity. These findings suggest that the amount of food deprivation differentially influences different general measures fo amphetamine effects as well as differentially affecting the interrelationship of amphetamine effects. The importance of the correlation data to the potential incompatibility of the drug's effects as well as to an interpretation of food-dish contact time is briefly considered.