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Effects of the MCH1 receptor antagonist SNAP 94847 on high-fat food-reinforced operant responding and reinstatement of food seeking in rats

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Abstract

Rationale and objectives

The melanin-concentrating hormone 1 (MCH1) receptors play an important role in home-cage food consumption in rodents, but their role in operant high-fat food-reinforced responding or reinstatement of food seeking in animal models is unknown. Here, we used the MCH1 receptor antagonist SNAP 94847 to explore these questions.

Materials and methods

In experiment 1, we trained food-restricted rats (16 g/day of nutritionally balanced rodent diet) to lever press for high-fat (35%) pellets (3-h/day, every other day) for 14 sessions. We then tested the effect of SNAP 94847 (3–30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)) on food-reinforced operant responding. In experiments 2 and 3, we trained rats to lever press for the food pellets (9 to 14 3-h sessions) and subsequently extinguished the food-reinforced lever responding by removing the food (10 to 17 sessions). We then tested the effect of SNAP 94847 on reinstatement of food seeking induced by MCH (20 μg, intracerebroventricular), noncontingent delivery of three pellets during the first minute of the test session (pellet-priming), contingent tone–light cues previously associated with pellet delivery (cue), or the pharmacological stressor yohimbine (2 mg/kg, i.p.).

Results

Systemic injections of SNAP 94847 decreased food-reinforced operant responding and MCH-induced reinstatement of food seeking. SNAP 94847 had no effect on pellet-priming-, cue-, or yohimbine-induced reinstatement.

Conclusions

Results indicate that MCH1 receptors are involved in food-reinforced operant responding but not in reinstatement induced by acute exposure to high-fat food, food cues, or the stress-like state induced by yohimbine. These results suggest that different mechanisms mediate food-reinforced operant responding and reinstatement of food seeking.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. We thank Evan Goldart for technical support.

Conflict of interest

The authors state no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, NIDA/IRP/NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA

    Sunila G. Nair, Tristan Adams-Deutsch, Charles L. Pickens & Yavin Shaham

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Lundbeck Research USA, Paramus, NJ, USA

    Daniel G. Smith

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  1. Sunila G. Nair
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  2. Tristan Adams-Deutsch
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  3. Charles L. Pickens
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  4. Daniel G. Smith
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  5. Yavin Shaham
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Correspondence to Yavin Shaham.

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Nair, S.G., Adams-Deutsch, T., Pickens, C.L. et al. Effects of the MCH1 receptor antagonist SNAP 94847 on high-fat food-reinforced operant responding and reinstatement of food seeking in rats. Psychopharmacology 205, 129–140 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1523-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1523-6

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