Clonidine induced hyperphagia and weight gain in monkeys

Abstract

The effect of the α-noradrenergic receptor agonist, clonidine, on food intake and weight was examined in ten adult Stumptail macaque monkeys. An intramuscular injection of 0.1 mg/kg of clonidine HCl for seven consecutive days significantly increased food intake from baseline levels throughout treatment. All but two monkeys gained weight during clonidine treatment with seven animals gaining from 5–15% of their original body weight by the end of 1 week.