Calcitonin reduces feeding in man, monkey and rat.

It is proposed that calcitonin is a hormonal mediator of the satiety reflex. To test this hypothesis, effects of calcitonin on feeding and drinking were measured in rats and in rhesus monkeys. In monkeys, calcitonin produced severe (90%) and prolonged (3-5 days) reduction in feeding, and smaller decreases in drinking. In rats calcitonin decreased feeding in a dose-related manner over 24 hours, but increased drinking and urine output. A modest loss in body weight (2%) was also observed in psychiatric patients given calcitonin. It is suggested that calcitonin reduces feeding either through its effects on calcium metabolism, or by a direct action on the central nervous system.