title: Food restriction decreases serotonin and its synthesis rate in the hypothalamus.
abstract: Rats fed on a restricted feeding (RF) schedule of 4 h day-1 to produce a 15-20% reduction in body weight were killed before (starved) and after (fed) the presentation of food on the sixth day to compare 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) metabolism and synthesis rate in the hypothalamus with freely feeding (FF) controls. The RF rats showed lower 5-HT concentration and synthesis rate than FF controls. Restricted feeding did not decrease tryptophan concentration in the hypothalamus. However, RF-fed rats had lower tryptophan concentration than RF starved rats. 5-HIAA concentration was comparable in RF fed rats and FF controls but higher in RF starved rats. Possible implications of the findings in the pathogenesis of the food deprivation/starvation-related disease anorexia nervosa are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Haleem
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haider
mesh_terms: D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000378:metabolism; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan