Chlorpromazine induced hyperphagia in the rat.

During a four month period, 20 rats treated with subcutaneous injections of chlorpromazine (CPZ), at any dose tested, gained less weight than saline treated controls. However, increased feeding did occur on the first day of CPZ treatment if the animal was drug free for at least two days prior to treatment. The "first day" hyperphagia was a time limited response that did not occur until 8 hours after CPZ injection and lasted only one day. During the period of hyperphagia, treated animals showed increased motivation to obtain food. Although sedation is a marked effect of CPZ and may be the reason for the delayed onset of hyperphagia, sedation with a different drug does not cause hyperphagia. It is suggested that accumulation of a metabolite of CPZ may interfere with the feeding response and cause the hyperphagia to disappear after the first day of treatment.