[Beta-lipotropin as a factor in food motivation].

Food motivation in rabbits injected intravenously with beta-lipotropin (3-5 microliters, 91.5 X 10(-6) mumole/ml, in a physiological saline) was studied in different stages of food motivation excitation. It was found that the effect of beta-lipotropin depended on initial motivation of the animals. In hungry rabbits, beta-lipotropin primarily inhibited instrumental food motivation. Meanwhile the number of incomplete instrumental reactions not accompanied by food intake rapidly increased. The satiated animals showed a remarkable activation of the food instrumental behavior.