Modulation of Eating by Central Catecholamine Systems

The focus of the present review is the modulation of eating by the endogenous catecholamines (CA) dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE). Topics addressed include pharmacological and genomic manipulations of brain CA systems and subsequent changes in ingestive behavior. DA in particular is a key component of brain reinforcement systems and feeding-associated changes in DA may play a role in the reinforcing aspects of feeding. NE has been linked to both stimulation and suppression of eating and recent evidence has linked these effects to activation of distinct adrenoceptor subtypes. Recent evidence suggests that NE systems may interact with DA systems to augment the activational effects of psychostimulant drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamine, and DA/NE interactions may play a key role in the capacity of psychostimulants to suppress eating.