Effects of acute or chronic administration of chlordiazepoxide on feeding parameters using two food textures in the rat.

The effects of acute or chronic administration of chlordiazepoxide on several feeding parameters were studied in the rat. Given acutely, chlordiazepoxide reduced the rate of feeding, at lower dose levels (5.0 or 10.0 mg kg-1) tended to prolong feeding duration, and at a higher dose (15.0 mg kg-1) reduced the amount of food intake. Food texture can influence feeding parameters too; but the effects of the drug did not interact with the effects of food texture. After 9 daily injections of the drug, there were several indications of the development of tolerance to the effects of the drug on the feeding parameters. A possible role of 5-HT mechanisms in the reduction of eating rate produced by the drug is considered.