Effects of 5-thioglucose on feeding and glycemia in the hamster

Adult male hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) did not increase their food consumption in a 5 hr feeding test when injected with doses of 5-thioglucose (5-TG) ranging up to 500 mg/kg, although insulin (50 U/kg) did produce hyperphagia. However, 5-TG did produce significant increases in both plasma glucose and plasma free fatty acids. Thus the hamster's failure to eat in response to 5-TG administration cannot be ascribed to a simple failure to detect the metabolic consequences of 5-TG. Hypotheses are proposed which may account not only for the hamster's failure to eat in response to 5-TG, but also for other well-established peculiarities in the feeding behavior of hamsters.