title: Effects of diphenyl and p-chloro-diphenyl diselenides on feeding behavior of rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The searching for safe and effective antiobesity drugs has been the subject of intense research. Previous studies have shown several pharmacological applications of organoselenium compounds; however, their possible anorectic-like actions have not been investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to investigate the effects of (PhSe)2 and (p-ClPhSe)2 on feeding behavior of rats and their potential as weight-reducing agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of intraperitoneal administration of diselenides were investigated through the microstructural pattern of feeding behavior, behavioral satiety sequence (BSS), hypothalamic serotonin (5-HT) uptake, body weight, and epididymal fat content of male rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings demonstrated that food intake of fasted rats was reduced by both diselenides (1 and 10 mg/kg). Diphenyl diselenide [(PhSe)2] (1 mg/kg) and p-chloro-diphenyl diselenide [(p-ClPhSe)2] (10 mg/kg) decreased the frequency, mean duration, and mean size of meals compared with the control treatment. The BSS structure was preserved when organoselenium compounds (1 mg/kg) were administered, and it was associated to a displacement to the left when the resting period started indicating a satiating action. Inhibition of 5-HT uptake in the hypothalamus (∼20 %) was also found in rats treated with low doses of (PhSe)2 and (p-ClPhSe)2 (1 mg/kg). Treatments with a high dose of both diselenides (10 mg/kg) carried out for 7 days induced weight loss and epididymal fat reduction in sated rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that diselenides caused a satiating action in rats that could be partially explained by the inhibition of hypothalamic 5-HT uptake. These organoselenium compounds were potential weight-reducing agents when repeatedly administered.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity, Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organochalcogen Compounds, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiani F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Bortolatto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity, Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organochalcogen Compounds, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Suélen O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Heck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity, Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organochalcogen Compounds, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bibiana M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity, Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organochalcogen Compounds, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Zborowski
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity, Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organochalcogen Compounds, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: José S S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Synthesis, Reactivity, Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Organochalcogen Compounds, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil. criswn@quimica.ufsm.br.
authors.forename: Cristina W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Nogueira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012528:Satiety Response / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; C574977:p-chloro-diphenyl diselenide; C061132:diphenyldiselenide
keywords: Anorectic-like action; Meal pattern; Rats; Satiety; Selenium; Serotonin