MEAL PATTERNS PRIOR TO AND FOLLOWING LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION IN RATS

Afferent nerves of the liver have been suggested to have a major influ ence on feeding behavior. Nevertheless, total liver denervations (TLD) in rats, that were verified by histofluorescence technique, did not c hange short or long term meal patterns. However, these studies have be en criticized that the TLD procedures may have missed some liver inner vation. In the present study meal patterns were conducted prior to and following liver transplantation in rats using a transplant procedure with arterialization. The transplanted rats recovered their pre-operat ive body weight in 7.5 +/- 0.6 days and meal pattern analysis was cond ucted two days later. In comparison with pre-surgery there was no diff erences in 24 h food intake (gms); dark phase: intake (gms), meal size (gms), meal duration (min), inter-meal interval (min), and frequency; and light phase: intake (gms), meal size (gms), meal duration (min), inter-meal interval(min), and frequency. These data, like earlier work in TLD rats showing that the animals consumed normal meals (when offe red a variety of diets), starting with the first meal post-surgery, qu estion the importance of liver afferents in the control of feeding beh avior. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.