ANORECTIC ACTIVITY OF PROSTAGLANDIN PRECURSORS

1 Intraperitoneal and intragastric (i.g.) administration of prostaglandin precursors arachidonic (2 mg, 15 mg/kg, i.p.; 30 mg/kg, i.g.), linolenic (100 mg/kg, i.p.; 200 mg/kg, i.g.) and linoleic (15, 100 mg/kg, i.p.; 100 mg/kg, i.g.) acids to 22 h food‐deprived rats inhibits food intake.

2 This anorexia is similar to that induced by prostaglandin F_2α (1 mg/kg, i.p.).

3 At anorectic doses these fatty acids do not cause pyrexia, in fact arachidonic acid causes hypothermia.

4 Prior treatment with indomethacin (15 mg/kg) and paracetamol (50 mg/kg) specifically reverses the anorexia and the behavioural satiety induced by the three fatty acids, while not affecting prostaglandin F_2α‐induced suppression of food intake.

5 Results of the present experiments suggest that both physiological and pharmacological modification of appetite could be brought about through an effect on prostaglandin generating systems.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1977.tb07517.x

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