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Reduction in cortical beta adrenergic receptor density after chronic intermittent food deprivation
Abstract:
The effect of chronic intermittent food deprivation on beta adrenergic receptor binding in the rat brain was studied. Rats subjected to six 48 h fasts given over a period of 3 weeks demonstrated a reduction in the density of beta adrenergic receptors in the cerebral cortex but not in the hypothalamus or lower brainstem. This receptor alteration did not occur after one 48 h fast. This effect of chronic food deprivation is shared by several other forms of repeated stress, suggesting that it is a general mechanism of adaptation.
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