Food intake and selection after peripheral tryptophan.

Two studies investigated the effects of peripheral (IP) administration of the dietary indispensible amino acid tryptophan, on food intake and macronutrient selection in rats adapted to a 12 hr nocturnal feeding period and a choice of 10% and 60% casein diets. In a dose-response study (35, 55, 75, 95, 115 mg/kg), the threshold dose of 75 mg/kg produced a significant reduction in total food intake (3.6 to 2.3 g, p less than 0.05) during the first hour of feeding. The reduction in carbohydrate intake (2.1 vs. 1.2 g, p less than 0.05) was greater than that for protein intake (1.6 vs. 1.1 g, p less than 0.05). Twelve hr total food intake was also decreased (20.9 to 19.5 g, p less than 0.05) and this was attributable to decreased carbohydrate intake (13.2 to 11.8 g, p less than 0.05). In a second study designed to determine if tryptophan's effects were mediated by the central nervous system, brain tryptophan uptake was blocked by co-injecting valine with tryptophan. The significant reduction in first hour total food intake by tryptophan was not prevented by co-injection of an equal quantity of valine (3.5 to 1.8 g, p less than 0.05). Again the suppression of carbohydrate intake (2.0 to 0.9 g p less than 0.05) was greater than that for protein intake (1.5 to 0.9 g, p less than 0.05). This dose of valine significantly reduced brain tryptophan uptake by 16% (21.3 to 17.8 micrograms/g, p less than 0.05) and when administered alone did not affect first hour total food intake (3.1 vs 3.2 g).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)