Therapeutic Effects of Flibanserin in Rat Activity-Based Anorexia

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex disorder with high morbidity and mortality. Given that multi-modal rehabilitation programs are the only effective AN treatment, the discovery of new drug treatments is essential. Core to researching new treatment options for AN is the use of animal models, specifically, activity-based anorexia (ABA). ABA reproduces three of the core symptoms of AN: caloric restriction, increased exercise, and rapid weight loss. Flibanserin is a drug that increases sexual activity in women, and we hypothesized that it might increase another rewarding motivated activity, eating, in juvenile female ABA rats. Our findings indicate that flibanserin treatment reduced weight loss by decreasing hyperactivity and increasing food intake. Further examination of the complex pharmacological profile of FLIB is required to understand the pharmacological mode of action underlying the behavioral changes in ABA, however this research provides clinically relevant evidence that flibanserin may be effective in combatting ABA symptoms.