Feeding patterns of rats chronically ingesting an ethanol-containing liquid diet.
We compared the feeding patterns of rats ingesting a 36% ethanol-containing liquid diet for 30 days with those of rats pair-fed an isocaloric liquid control diet or provided control diet or ground rat chow ad libitum. Ethanol-fed rats consumed fewer calories per day and gained less body weight than rats fed control diets ad libitum. Daily caloric intakes were approximately 50% lower during the first 10 days and 20% thereafter. Lower intakes in ethanol-fed rats occurred through a decrease in mean meal size rather than number of meals per day, although meals were more evenly distributed diurnally. Pair-fed rats ingested most of their food in one or two meals within a few hours of presentation. In a related experiment, a 4-hr duodenal infusion of ethanol at a rate comparable to that of ethanol ingestion resulted in plasma ethanol levels of 28 +/- 4 mM and suppressed 5-hr intake by approximately 40% by increasing the mean postmeal interval and satiety ratio. These results suggest that the suppressive effect of ethanol ingestion on food intake may be mediated in part by a post-gastric mechanism of ethanol action.
Alcohol Research Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105, USA.
R D
RD
Reidelberger
D J
DJ
Tuma
T A
TA
Woltman
T M
TM
Donohue
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012528:Satiety Response / Q000187:drug effects
D000431:Ethanol