Inhibition of restraint-induced anorexia by injected tryptophan

Tryptophan injected at doses of 50mg/kg did not alter 24 h cumulative food intake and growth rate in rats. A single episode of 2 h restraint stress decreased food intake and growth rate of saline and tryptophan injected rats. The decreases of both food intake and growth rate were smaller in tryptophan injected (food intake 23.9% p<0.05; growth rate 2.9% p<0.05) than saline injected (food intake 78.5% p<0.01; growth rate 6.1% p<0.01) rats suggesting that tryptophan administration inhibits restraint-induced anorexia. Following an acute challenge with 2h restraint increases of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) but not tryptophan were greater in tryptophan injected than saline injected rats. The findings imply that tryptophan-induced increases of brain 5-HT and 5-HIAA have little effect on functional serotoninergic activity under basal conditions but a facilitatory effect on functional response occurs in conditions of increased serotoninergic neuronal activity such as during stress.