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A paradox in the control of energy intake in the rat

Nature volume 273, pages 146–147 (1978)Cite this article

Abstract

THE precise control of energy intake in rats1 is generally considered to operate to maintain energy balance. Of the many theories proposed to describe this relationship, the most prominent are the glucostatic2, the lipostatic3 and, more recently, the glucolipostatic4 theories. All three presuppose that the regulated quantity is related to body energy storage and, therefore, to energy balance. We report here that the control of energy intake can be dissociated from the state of energy balance in the rat, thus demonstrating that the above supposition is no longer tenable, and leaving the control of energy intake as a physiological enigma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Queen Elizabeth College, Campden Hill Road, London, W8, UK

    NANCY J. ROTHWELL & M. J. STOCK

Authors
  1. NANCY J. ROTHWELL
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  2. M. J. STOCK
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ROTHWELL, N., STOCK, M. A paradox in the control of energy intake in the rat. Nature 273, 146–147 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/273146a0

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