Faculty Collaboration Database

N-acetylcysteine decreases binge eating in a rodent model. Int J Obes (Lond) 2016 Jul;40(7):1183-6

Date

03/16/2016

Pubmed ID

26975440

Pubmed Central ID

PMC4935583

DOI

10.1038/ijo.2016.31

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84961219444 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   18 Citations

Abstract

Binge-eating behavior involves rapid consumption of highly palatable foods leading to increased weight gain. Feeding in binge disorders resembles other compulsive behaviors, many of which are responsive to N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is a cysteine prodrug often used to promote non-vesicular glutamate release by a cystine-glutamate antiporter. To examine the potential for NAC to alter a form of compulsive eating, we examined the impact of NAC on binge eating in a rodent model. Specifically, we monitored consumption of standard chow and a high-fat, high carbohydrate western diet (WD) in a rodent limited-access binge paradigm. Before each session, rats received either a systemic or intraventricular injection of NAC. Both systemic and central administration of NAC resulted in significant reductions of binge eating the WD without decreasing standard chow consumption. The reduction in WD was not attributable to general malaise as NAC did not produce condition taste aversion. These results are consistent with the clinical evidence of NAC to reduce or reverse compulsive behaviors, such as, drug addiction, skin picking and hair pulling.

Author List

Hurley MM, Resch JM, Maunze B, Frenkel MM, Baker DA, Choi S

Author

Sujean Choi PhD in the School of Allied Health department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acetylcysteine
Animals
Binge-Eating Disorder
Conditioning, Operant
Diet, High-Fat
Disease Models, Animal
Feeding Behavior
Injections, Intraventricular
Male
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley