THE PEPTIDE ENTEROSTATIN MAY PRODUCE EARLY SATIETY

The time course of feeding, grooming, exploration, and sleeping behavi ors has been measured following treatment with enterostatin, the signa l pentapeptide from procolipase. The peptide was injected intraperiton eally prior to presenting food, and the frequency of feeding and groom ing activity, drinking, and rest or sleeping were observed at 10-s int ervals for 60 min. Enterostatin did not delay the onset of feeding but shortened the time spent eating compared to saline injected controls. Conversely, grooming activity appeared earlier following enterostatin , activity was reduced, and resting behavior occurred earlier with thi s peptide. There were no changes in the drinking behavior. For the fir st hour following enterostatin, eating represented 20.8% of the time, grooming 9.2%, activity 18.3%, and rest or sleep 47.2%, with drinking making up the other 4.4%. In contrast, saline-injected animals ate for 27.1% of the time, groomed for 12.4%, were active 28.5% of the time, had sleep or rest time equal to 27.9%, and drank for 4.1 % of the time . In fasted animals, the onset of grooming, the decrease in activity, and the increase in time sleeping occurred earlier than with saline. T hese studies support the concept that enterostatin decreases food inta ke by producing early satiety.