FEEDING PATTERNS OF RATS CHRONICALLY INGESTING AN ETHANOL-CONTAINING LIQUID DIET

We compared the feeding patterns of rats ingesting a 36% ethanol-conta ining liquid diet for 30 days with those of rats pair-fed an isocalori c liquid control diet or provided control diet or ground rat chow ad l ibitum. Ethanol-fed rats consumed fewer calories per day and gained le ss body weight than rats fed control diets ad libitum. Daily caloric i ntakes were similar to 50% lower during the first 10 days and 20% ther eafter. Lower intakes in ethanol-fed rats occurred through a decrease in mean meal size rather than number of meals per day, although meals were more evenly distributed diurnally. Pair-fed rats ingested most of their food in one or two meals within a few hours of presentation. In a related experiment, a 4-hr duodenal infusion of ethanol at a rate c omparable to that of ethanol ingestion resulted in plasma ethanol leve ls of 28 +/- 4 mM and suppressed 5-hr intake by similar to 40% by Incr easing the mean postmeal interval and satiety ratio. These results sug gest that the suppressive effect of ethanol ingestion on food intake m ay be mediated in part by a post-gastric mechanism of ethanol action.