title: Role of 5-HT receptors in the effect of d-fenfluramine on gastric emptying and feeding behaviour as examined in the runway test.
abstract: In one experiment, the effect of d-fenfluramine (DF) on gastric emptying was studied in rats treated i.p. with metergoline, a non-selective serotonin (5-HT) receptor antagonist, ritanserin, a selective 5-HT2 and 5-HT1C receptor antagonist, and xylamidine, a 5-HT antagonist which has poor access to the brain. Metergoline (1 mg/kg) but not ritanserin (0.5 mg/kg) or xylamidine (3 mg/kg) blocked the effect of 2.5 mg/kg DF studied 2 and 4 h after injection. In a second experiment, we studied the ability of metergoline to antagonise the effect of DF, administered after a meal, on runway performance, food intake and gastric emptying assessed 4 h later. Metergoline at a dose of 1 mg/kg did not antagonise the effect of DF (2.5 mg/kg) on runway performance but completely blocked the effect on gastric emptying. The data clearly show that DF delays gastric emptying by indirectly activating 5-HT1 receptors; this effect is not important for the ability of DF to reduce runway performance and food intake when the drug is injected after a pre-feeding period. While there is evidence that DF hastens the termination of the meal by a 5-HT mechanism, the data suggest that DF may prolong the satiating effect of food during the post-absorptive phase by mechanisms other than 5-HT.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Samanin
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Neill
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grignaschi
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Padura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bizzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garattini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008711:Metergoline / Q000494:pharmacology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011377:Proglumide / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects*; D016713:Ritanserin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010880:Piperidines; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D016713:Ritanserin; D008711:Metergoline; D005277:Fenfluramine; D011377:Proglumide