The effect of phenobarbital on food and water intake, activity level, and weight gain in the white rat.

Abstract

Exptl. [male] albino rats received daily (except Sunday) intraperit. injs. of phenobarbital (80 mg./kg. of body wt.). Control animals received injs. of sterile water. The animals were 30 days of age at the beginning of the expt. and were observed for 11 wks., the injs. being withdrawn at the end of the 5th wk. Exptl. animals ate less, drank less, gained less wt., apparently were less active at night (although daytime activity seemed not to be different from controls). Withdrawal of the drug resulted in a temporary drop in food intake. Food intake and wt. gain did not improve after withdrawal of the drug. In learning expts. designed to study the effects of phenobarbital on mental functioning, the use of food or water as incentives is contraindicated.