Allopregnanolone preferentially induces energy-rich food intake in male Wistar rats.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Bench or animal research (male Wistar rat study)
PubMed 25501437 · doi:10.14814/phy2.12190
What was done
Male Wistar rats were evaluated in two food choice paradigms following acute subcutaneous injections of allopregnanolone: a choice between standard chow and cookies (higher energy, higher palatability), and a choice between standard chow and a 10% low-caloric sucrose solution (chow has higher energy, sucrose has higher palatability). Food intake was measured for 1 hour post-injection.
What was found
In the chow versus cookie test, allopregnanolone significantly increased the intake of cookies only. In the chow versus 10% sucrose test, allopregnanolone significantly increased chow intake and had no effect on sucrose intake. Compared to vehicle, a high dose of allopregnanolone increased cookie energy intake by 120% and chow energy intake by 150%.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that allopregnanolone-induced hyperphagia is driven primarily by the caloric density of food rather than its palatability, identifying a potential neuroendocrine mechanism in energy-seeking feeding behavior.
Limits
This is an animal study conducted exclusively in male Wistar rats, limiting direct translatability to humans or female physiology. The abstract does not report sample sizes, specific drug dosages, exact baseline consumption amounts, or statistical variance/p-values. Testing was restricted to a single 1-hour acute window, leaving chronic intake and body-weight effects unmeasured.
Cited by
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