There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Previous experiments have investigated the anorectic effects of mazindol and cocaine,
both of which can inhibit dopamine (DA) uptake into presynaptic terminals but do not
do so selectively. GBR 12909, however, is an example of a potent and selective inhibitor
of DA uptake and, therefore, the present study was concerned with investigating its
possible effects on feeding behavior in nondeprived rats given access to a sweetened
palatable diet. GBR 12909 (5-20 mg/kg, IP) was injected 2 h before a 60 min observation
test. It produced a significant reduction in food intake, as a consequence of a reduction
in the duration of feeding, without reducing the rate of eating. This anorectic profile
is consistent with earlier findings for mazindol and cocaine. The other main behavioral
effect of GBR 12909, observed in the present study, was to induce intense sniffing
activity, but, unlike cocaine, it did not suppress grooming or induce hyperlocomotion.
This selective behavioral effect of GBR 12909 indicates that sniffing can be isolated
as one component of a broader array of components typically associated with DA-related
stereotyped behavior.