Intestinal satiety in rats.

In 5 experiments with a total of 55 male Sprague-Dawley rats, infusion of liquid food into the duodenum inhibited sham feeding. The inhibition reflected satiety because the duodenum infusion elicited the complete behavioral sequence characteristic of satiety. The chemical and/or colligative load that the infusion imposed on the intestine appeared to be the adequate stimulus for satiety. Duodenal infusions that inhibit sham feeding and elicit satiety are not aversive, because they will not function as the UCS for the formation of a conditioned taste aversion for saccharin. The satiety elicited by the infusion of food into the duodenum is termed "intestinal satiety" by the authors. This emphasizes the belief that satiety is a reflex that can be elicited by the activation of receptors in the wall of the intestine. It is known that the activation of some intestinal receptors releases the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK). Since CCK mimics a duodenal infusion by inhibiting sham feeding and eliciting the complete behavioral sequence of satiety, it is suggested that CCK mediates intestinal satiety in the rat. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)