THC and CB1 Blockade Changed Fat Intake Differently Across Feeding Schedules in Female Rats
A female-rat feeding study found that THC increased fat intake in one access schedule while rimonabant reduced intake in another. The feeding history and experimental group mattered to the direction and persistence of the response.
Limited access created different eating patterns
Rats had unrestricted chow and water, with groups differing in access to margarine. A high-restriction group received brief access three days weekly, while another had the same access period daily. The intermittent group ate more margarine and gained more weight than the daily-access group.
The drugs did not produce one universal appetite result
THC increased margarine intake selectively in the daily-access group. The FAAH inhibitor URB597 had no effect in the reported comparison. Rimonabant reduced margarine intake in the intermittent-access group. Thus, direct cannabinoid agonism, enzyme inhibition and receptor blockade did not provide interchangeable outcomes.
Repeated blockade retained its measured effect
A low rimonabant regimen produced sustained reductions in margarine intake and body weight in the intermittent group without detected tolerance to the feeding effect. This differs from assuming all CB1-blockade appetite effects rapidly fade, but it does not establish persistence under every schedule or duration.
The study supports a role for exposure context and feeding history in cannabinoid-related behavior. A rat model of binge-type intake is not a human diagnosis or clinical trial. Its results do not establish a current treatment recommendation for binge-eating disorder or a safe weight-loss strategy.
Related: interpreting cannabis tolerance claims.
Research cited
Scherma M; Fattore L; Satta V; Businco F; Pigliacampo B; Goldberg SR; Dessi C; Fratta W; Fadda P. Pharmacological modulation of the endocannabinoid signalling alters binge-type eating behaviour in female rats. British journal of pharmacology (2013). doi:10.1111/bph.12014. Findings discussed from the study abstract.
