
Naltrexone/bupropion modifies weight, food intake, and Drd2 gene expression in rats
2022; Bioscientifica; Volume: 253; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1530/joe-21-0393
ISSN1479-6805
AutoresGilvanildo Roberto da Silva, Mariane Gomes Carneiro, Miriam Pereira Barbosa, Jaciane de Almeida Costa, Ivone Antônia de Souza, Lisiane dos Santos Oliveira, Diogo Antônio Alves de Vasconcelos, Elizabeth do Nascimento, Rhowena Jane Barbosa de Matos, Sandra Lopes de Souza, Manuela Figueiroa Lyra de Freitas,
Tópico(s)Eating Disorders and Behaviors
ResumoObesogenic diets are known to induce obesity and changes in food intake in experimental animals. Obesity negatively affects the peripheral metabolism and neural aspects, such as changes in eating behavior. In obese animals, dopamine (DA) receptor levels are reduced. DA is one of the main peptides involved in the motivation and pleasure of eating. A combination of naltrexone/bupropion (NB) has shown promise in controlling metabolic alterations, but there are few studies on how they modulate dopaminergic expression. NB, in addition to reducing food intake and body weight, can modify tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) and DA receptor D2 (Drd2) levels in the mesolimbic areas of rats submitted to a high-fat diet (HF). The study evaluated the effect of NB on food intake, body weight, and expression levels of Th, Drd1a, and Drd2, in the nucleus accumbens and striatum of rats fed on HF diet. Wistar rats were grouped according to diet: standard (n = 20) and HF diet (n = 20). The food intake and body weight were analyzed. The gene expression of Th, Drd1a, and Drd2 was evaluated using real-time PCR. NB combination of 1 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg reduced food intake and body weight, increased Drd2 expression in rats on HF diet, and increased Th in rats on both experimental diets. The level of Drd1a was unchanged. We concluded that bodyweight reduction may be associated with decreased food intake in response to the increased Drd2 expression in the mesolimbic areas of rats that received an HF diet.
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