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

Previous studies suggest that the dopaminergic system in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) is involved not only in the water balance control but also in the food intake regulation. Since we reported that an injection of the D2 receptor antagonist, sulpiride, into specific hypothalamic nuclei (e.g. the LHA, or the VMN) increases food intake in anorectic tumor-bearing rats, as well as in normal rats, we hypothesized that an injection of sulpiride into the SON would also improve cancer anorexia. Sulpiride injection (4 microg/0.5 microl) into bilateral SON of anorectic tumor-bearing male rats significantly improved food intake via increases in both meal size and meal number. These data suggest that pharmacological manipulation of the hypothalamic dopaminergic system is feasible in amelioration of cancer anorexia.