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Hormone and gender responses in a rat model of binge eating disorder.
Author(s) -
Jurek Samuel,
Cooper Amy,
Maher Margaret
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.545.6
Subject(s) - leptin , ghrelin , medicine , endocrinology , weight gain , binge eating , appetite , binge eating disorder , hormone , food intake , obesity , body weight , psychology , eating disorders , psychiatry , bulimia nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is difficult to study in humans. Thus, a rat model may elucidate the role that appetite‐regulating hormones play in such a disorder. Male (M, n=19) and female (F, n=19) rats were fed chow (C) or "preferred" food (P ‐ Oreo® cookies) for a 30 minute "binge" following a 2‐hr food restriction. For five weeks, weight and binge intake were recorded daily. Plasma hormone analysis revealed females had significantly lower leptin (p<0.001) and higher ghrelin (p<0.001) than males. Preferred food rats had higher leptin (not significant) and lower ghrelin levels (p<0.001) than chow rats, with FP having lower ghrelin levels than FC compared with MP and MC (p<0.05). FP consumed more during binges than FC, which was reflected in increased weight gain of FP versus FC. In contrast, MC consumed more during binges than MP, which was reflected in increased weight gain of MC versus MP. The above gender‐by‐condition interactions for binge intake (p=0.15) and weight gain (p=0.19) were not significant. Significant positive correlations were found between leptin and binge intake, leptin and weight gain, and binge intake and weight gain, whereas negative correlations were found between ghrelin and binge intake and ghrelin and weight gain. Our results suggest down‐regulation in the ghrelin system, especially in females, and up‐regulation in the leptin system with this animal model of BED. Funded by UW‐L and NSF‐REU grants.