Blood profile and balance study of rats given the putative anorectic agent satietin

Satietin (SAT), a glycoprotein found in the plasma of a variety of animals, is a putative satiety agent. In experiments 1 and 2 rats received chronic third ventricle cannulas. At the start of the dark phase, in experiment 1, one group was infused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) and fed ad libitum (CON); a second group was infused with 100 micrograms/rat of human SAT and fed ad libitum in individual computerized pellet feeding modules; a third group was infused with aCSF and pair fed (PF) to the SAT-treated rats. The animals were killed 19.5 h later and blood was collected. Food and water intake and body weight were significantly, and comparably, reduced in the SAT-treated and PF group compared with the CON group. Plasma was assayed for a variety of nutrients, metabolites, enzymes, hormones, ions, and osmolality. Differential white cell counts were made. None of the above parameters differed significantly between the SAT and PF groups. Meal pattern analyses showed SAT treatment did not at any time alter meal size but significantly increased meal duration and intermeal interval during the first 6 h of the dark phase. In experiment 2 rats were placed in metabolic cages and infused with SAT or aCSF. Food and water intakes of the SAT group were suppressed for 1 day, whereas their body weights were significantly attenuated for 3 days. Urine volume and feces elimination were similar in the two groups over the 6-day measurement period. The normalcy of the data from experiment 1 is in accord with the possibility that SAT may act as a physiological satiety agent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)