Beta-casomorphins stimulate and enterostatin inhibits the intake of dietary fat in rats.

The effects of beta-casomorphins 1-7, 1-5 and 1-4 on food intake of rats adapted to either a high fat (HF) or high carbohydrate (HC) diet have been studied and compared to the effects of enterostatin. Intracerebroventricular (icv) beta-casomorphin1-7 (beta-CM1-7) stimulated intake of HF diet in overnight fasted rats, but beta-CM1-5 and beta-CM1-4 were ineffective. Peripheral injection of beta-CM1-7 also increased the intake of a high fat diet, but reduced the intake of HC diet in satiated rats. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) beta-CM1-7 caused a dose-dependent increase in the intake of HF diet, but a dose-dependent inhibition of HC ingestion in satiated rats. Enterostatin (ICV) inhibited the beta-CM1-7 stimulation of HF intake, as did the general opioid antagonist naloxone. Ligand binding studies with [3H-pro] enterostatin identified on low affinity binding site (Kd 100nM) on a crude brain membrane preparation. This binding was displaced by beta-CM1-7, beta-CM1-5 and beta-CM1-4. These data suggest that at high doses enterostatin and beta-CM1-7 may interact with the same low affinity receptor to modulate intake of dietary fat.