Diurnal variation for inhibition of eating by bombesin in the rat

Sprague-Dawley male albino rats ate sweet milk at the midpoint of the day or night phase of a 12:12 light/dark cycle 1 min after IP 0.9% NaCl or synthetic bombesin (BBS; 2-32 micrograms/kg) following 24-hr food deprivation. Exogenous BBS inhibited food intake in a dose-related manner during the day; a linear regression line accounted for 85% of the total variance for percentage suppression of food intake by BBS in 30 min. In contrast, inhibition of eating by BBS at night was not dose-related; a linear regression line accounted for only 16% of the variance. Rats were tested under identical conditions following 3-hr food deprivation. Exogenous BBS (4-64 micrograms/kg) inhibited food intake in a dose-related manner at night; a linear regression line accounted for 92% of the total variance. In contrast, inhibition of eating by BBS during the day was not as orderly; a linear regression line accounted for only 44% of the variance. The 8 micrograms/kg dose was twice as potent for inhibition of eating of 25% GIBCO 116EC liquid diet than it was for inhibition of eating sweet milk at the midpoint of the day phase. These results describe diurnal variation in potency of exogenous BBS for inhibition of food intake in the rat. Whether BBS is more or less potent at night than during the day depends upon the particular dose, degree of hunger of the rat, and probably the type of food being eaten.