Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of nalmefene on feeding in humans

Dissociation of hunger and palatability

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Effects of nalmefene on eating were investigated in two groups of ten male volunteers, in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. The nalmefene treated group ate 22% less, both in terms of absolute weight and caloric intake, of a standardised buffet-meal than did the placebo group. No differences in subjective ratings of hunger or satiety were found between the groups, suggesting that the reduced feeding was not a consequence of any change in motivation to eat. When analysed by nutrient content, nalmefene was found to reduce fat and protein, but not carbohydrate, intakes. Analyses of intakes of individual foods showed a differential effect of nalmefene on foods rated as highly palatable. Thus the apparent nutrient specificity of nalmefene appeared to be an indirect consequence of its effect on palatability. Nalmefene also caused slight increases in self-rated alertness, and decreases in ratings of tiredness and elation, although it was thought unlikely that these accounted for observed changes in eating behaviour. No other side-effects were detected, and performance on a choice reaction time task was unaffected. These results add weight to suggestions that endogenous opioids are involved in reward-related aspects of feeding associated with food palatability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Apfelbaum M, Mandenoff A (1981) Naltrexone suppresses hyperphagia induced in the rat by a highly palatable diet. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 15:89–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson RL (1982) Naloxone decreases food intake in obese humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 55:196–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson RL, Berke LK, Drake CR, Bibbs ML, Williams FL, Kaiser DL (1985) Effects of long-term therapy with naltrexone on body weight in obesity. Clin Pharmacol Ther 38:419–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Billington CJ, Morley JE, Levine AS, Wright F, Seal US (1985) Naloxone suppression of feeding in tigers. Physiol Behav 34:641–643

    Google Scholar 

  • Bozarth M (1988) Opioids and reinforcement. In: Rodgers RJ, Cooper SJ (eds) Endorphins, opiates and behavioural processes. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Brands B, Thornhill JA, Hirst M, Gowdey CW (1979) Suppression of food intake and body weight gain by naloxone in rats. Life Sci 24:1773–1778

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown DR, Holtzman SG (1979) Suppression of deprivation-induced food and water intake in rats and mice by naloxone. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 11:567–573

    Google Scholar 

  • Carey MP, Ross JA, Enns MP (1981) Naloxone suppresses feeding and drinking but not wheel running in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 14:569–571

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaves MLF, Bizzi JWJ, Palmini AL, Izquierdo I (1988) Naltrexone blocks the enhancing effect of novel experiences on performance in memory tests in humans. Neuropsychologia 26:491–494

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen MR, Cohen RM, Pickar D, Weingartner H, Murphy DL (1983) High-dose naloxone infusion in normals. Arch Gen Psychiatry 40:613–619

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen MR, Cohen RM, Pickar D, Murphy DL (1985) Naloxone reduces food intake in humans. Psychosom Med 47:132–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper SJ, Turkish S (1981) Food and water intake in the non-deprived pigeon after morphine or naloxone administration. Neuropharmacology 20:1053–1058

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper SJ, Barber DJ, Barbour-McMullen J (1985) Selective attenuation of sweetened milk consumption by opiate receptor antagonists in male and female rats of the Roman strains. Neuropeptides 5:349–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper SJ, Jackson A, Kirkham TC, Turkish S (1988) Endorphins, opiates and food intake. In: Rodgers RJ, Cooper SJ (eds) Endorphins, opiates and behavioural processes. Wiley, Chichester, pp 143–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Deviche P, Wohland A (1984) Opiate antagonists stereoselectively attenuate the consumption of food but not of water by pigeons. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 21:507–512

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon R, Gentile J, Hsu HB, Hsiao J, Howes J, Garg D, Weidler D (1987) Nalmefene: safety and kinetics after single and multiple oral doses of a new opioid antagonist. Clin Pharmacol 27:233–239

    Google Scholar 

  • Drewnowski A, Gosnell B, Krahn DD, Canum K (1989) Sensory preferences for sugar and fat: evidence for opioid involvement. Appetite 12; 206

    Google Scholar 

  • Fantino M, Hisotte J, Apfelbaum M (1988) An opioid antagonist, naltrexone, reduces preference for sucrose in humans. Am J Physiol 251:R91-R96

    Google Scholar 

  • Gai TJ, DiFazzio CA (1986) Prolonged antagonism of opioid action with intravenous nalmefene in man. Anesthesiology 64:175–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Grandison L, Guidotti A (1977) Stimulation of food intake by muscimol and beta endorphin. Neuropharmacology 16:533–536

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtzman SG (1979) Suppression of appetitive behaviour in the rat by naloxone: lack of prior morphine dependence. Life Sci 24:219–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Kavaliers M, Hirst M, Teskey GC (1985) Opioid systems and feeding in the slug,Limax maximus: similarities to and implications for mammalian feeding. Brain Res Bull 14:681–685

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkham TC, Cooper SJ (1988) Attenuation of sham feeding by naloxone is stereo-specific: evidence for opioid mediation of orosensory reward. Physiol Behav 43; 845–847

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Magnen J, Marfaing-Jallat P, Miceli D, Devos M (1980) Pain modulating and reward systems: a single brain mechanism? Pharmacol Biochem Behav 12:729–733

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch WC, Libby L (1983) Naloxone suppresses intake of highly preferred saccharin solutions in food-deprived and sated rats. Life Sci 33:1909–1914

    Google Scholar 

  • Malcolm R, O'Neill PM, Sexauer JD, Riddle FE, Currey HS, Counts C (1985) A controlled trial of naltrexone in obese humans. Int J Obes 9:347–353

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy G, Donchin E (1981) A metric for thought: a comparison of P300 latency and reaction time. Science 211:77–80

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin CL, Baille CA (1983) Nalmefene decreases meal size, food and water intake and weight gain in Zucker rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 19:235–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandenoff A, Fumeron F, Apfelbaum M, Margules DL (1982) Endogenous opiates and energy balance. Science 215:1536–1538

    Google Scholar 

  • Michel ME, Bolgan G, Weisman B-A (1984) Binding of a new opiate antagonist, nalmefene, to rat brain membranes. Pharmacologist 26:101

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JE, Morley JE, Levine AS, Hatsukami D, Gannon M, Pfohl D (1987) High-dose naltrexone therapy and dietary counseling for obesity. Biol Psychiatry 22:35–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Morley JE, Levine AS (1980) Stress induced eating is mediated through endogenous opiates. Science 209:1259–1261

    Google Scholar 

  • Morley JE, Levine AS (1983) Involvement of dynorphin and the kappa opioid receptor in feeding. Peptides 4:797–800

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Brien CP, Stunkard AJ, Ternes JW (1982) Absence of naloxone sensitivity in obese humans. Psychosom Med 44:215–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul AA, Southgate DAT (1978) McCance and Widdowson's the composition of foods, 4th edn. HMSO, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Peck RE (1958) The S.H.P. test; an aid to the detection and measurement of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1:35–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Penicaud L, Thompson DA (1984) Effects of systemic or intracerebroventricular naloxone injection on basal and 2-deoxy-d-glucose-induced ingestive behaviour. Life Sci 35:2297–2302

    Google Scholar 

  • Polivy J (1976) Perception of calories and regulation of intake in restrained and unrestrained subjects. Addict Behav 1:237–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid LD (1985) Endogenous opioid peptides and regulation of drinking and feeding. Am J Clin Nutr 42:1099–1132

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanger DJ, McCarthy PS (1980) Differential effects of morphine on food and water intake in food deprived and freely-feeding rats. Psychopharmacology 72:103–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz JR, Pomegrantz JR, Egeth HE (1977) State and process limitations in information processing: an additive factors analysis. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 3:402–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Sewell RDE, Jawarhadal K (1980) Antagonism of 2-deoxy-d-glucose-induced hyperphagia by naloxone: possible involvement of endorphins. J Pharm Pharmacol 32:148–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Spiegel TA, Stunkard AJ, Shrager EE, O'Brien CP, Morrison MF, Stellar E (1987) Effect of naltrexone on food intake, hunger, and satiety in obese men. Physiol Behav 40:135–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Siviy SM, Reid LD (1983) Endorphinergic modulation of acceptability of pulative reinforcers. Appetite 4:249–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Trenchard E, Silverstone T (1982) Naloxone reduces the food intake of normal human volunteers. Appetite 4:43–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolkowitz OM, Doran AR, Cohen MR, Cohen RM, Wise TN, Pickar D (1985) Effect of naloxone on food consumption in obesity. N Engl J Med 313:327

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolkowitz OM, Doran AR, Cohen MR, Cohen RM, Wise TN, Pickar D (1988) Single-dose naloxone acutely reduces eating in obese humans: behavioral and biochemical effects. Biol Psychiatry 24:483–487

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeomans MR (1987) Control of drinking in domestic fowls. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, EH8 9JZ, Edinburgh, UK

    M. R. Yeomans, P. Wright & H. A. Macleod

  2. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Royal Infirmary, Lauriston Place, EH3 9YW, Edinburgh, UK

    J. A. J. H. Critchley

Authors
  1. M. R. Yeomans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Wright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. A. Macleod
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. A. J. H. Critchley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yeomans, M.R., Wright, P., Macleod, H.A. et al. Effects of nalmefene on feeding in humans. Psychopharmacology 100, 426–432 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244618

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244618

Key words

Search

Navigation