Intra-supraoptic nucleus sulpiride improves anorexia in tumor-bearing rats

Previous studies suggest that the dopaminergic system in the supraoptic nuc leus (SON) is involved not only in the water balance control but also in th e food intake regulation. Since we reported that an injection of the D2 rec eptor antagonist, sulpiride, into specific hypothalamic nuclei (e.g. the LH A, or the VMN) increases food intake in anorectic tumor-bearing rats, as we ll as in normal rats, we hypothesized that an injection of sulpiride into t he SON would also improve cancer anorexia. Sulpiride injection (4 mug/0.5 m ul) into bilateral SON of anorectic tumor-bearing male rats significantly i mproved food intake via increases in both meal size and meal number. These data suggest that pharmacological manipulation of the hypothalamic dopamine rgic system is feasible in amelioration of cancer anorexia. NeuroReport 12: 2429-2432 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.