Peptide YY(3–36) inhibits gastric emptying and produces acute reductions in food intake in rhesus monkeys

Abstract

Peptide YY3–36 [PYY(3–36)], a gastrointestinal peptide that is released into the circulation in response to ingesting a meal, has recently been suggested to play a role in controlling food intake. PYY(3–36) has been reported to inhibit food intake following peripheral administration in rodents and in human subjects. To more fully characterize the potential feeding actions of PYY(3–36), we examined the ability of a dose range of PYY(3–36) (0.3–3.0 nmol/kg) to affect liquid gastric emptying and daily 6-h food intake in male rhesus monkeys. Intramuscular PYY(3–36) produced a dose-related inhibition of saline gastric emptying that was maximal at a dose of 3 nmol/kg. Intramuscular PYY(3–36) administered before daily 6-h food access produced significant feeding reductions at doses of 1 and 3 nmol/kg. Analyses of the patterns of food intake across the 6-h period of food access revealed that PYY(3–36) increased the latency to the first meal and reduced average meal size without altering meal number. Although single doses of PYY(3–36) reduced intake, a suppressive effect on food intake was not sustained over multiple administrations across successive days. Together, these data suggest that PYY(3–36) has the ability to reduce food intake in acute test situations in nonhuman primates. Whether this is a physiological action of the endogenous peptide remains to be determined.