Effects of triethyltin on ingestive behavior at ad lib, reduced, and recovered body weight.

The effects of repeated injections of small amounts of the neurotoxicant triethyltin (TET) on 1 and 24 hr food and water intake were investigated in rats at ad lib feeding, reduced, and recovered body weights. Following adaptation to 15% ethanol vehicle injections, TET doses of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg body weight were administered in four separate injections, each separated by 3 or 4 days. Decreases only in 24 hr food intake and body weight occurred with 1.5 mg/kg TET in ad lib feeding animals. In animals reduced to 80% body weight decreases in water intake occurred for only 1 hr after injections of 1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg TET. When TET was administered to animals previously reduced to 80% body weight and allowed to recover ad lib feeding weight, effects on daily food and water intakes were observed. The effects of TET on ingestive behavior seem to be dependent on whether or not animals are or have been chronically food deprived. Results are discussed in terms of the known effects of TET on brain physiology.