Intraventricular GLP-1 reduces short- but not long-term food intake or body weight in lean and obese rats

Abstract

Glucagon-like-peptide-1 (7–36) amide (GLP-1), when infused into the third ventricle (IVT), reduces short-term food intake. In the present experiments, we assessed whether IVT administration of GLP-1 could influence long-term food intake and body weight of lean Long Evans rats and of fatty Zucker ( fa/ fa) rats. In Experiment 1, we replicated the observation that 10 μg GLP-1, given IVT, reduces one and 2 h food intake, and extended the observation to fatty Zucker rats. However, in both rat strains, 24 h food intake and body weight were unchanged by this acute treatment. In Experiment 2, GLP-1 (30 μg/day) was infused IVT continuously for 4 days via an osmotic mini-pump. This treatment also had no effect on food intake or body weight in either Long–Evans or fatty Zucker rats. A control experiment verified that the GLP-1 remained biologically active over the duration of the infusion period. In a final experiment, Long-Evans rats were restricted to two 2 h periods of access to food each day for 6 days. Prior to each of these access periods, rats received either 15 μg of GLP-1 IVT or a vehicle control injection. While GLP-1 significantly reduced food intake on the first day of treatment, this effect of GLP-1 rapidly disappeared such that it was reduced on the second day and absent on the third day; and there was no effect on body weight at any time. Collectively, the present experiments do not support the hypothesis that GLP-1, acting in the CNS, is an important regulator of long-term food intake and body weight.