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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · rat · 2025

4 results

Sex-specific effects of appetite suppressants on stereotypy in rats.

Lopez A, Gil-Lievana E, Gutierrez R

PloS one24 Jun 2025Cited by 1 (Europe PMC)

PMID40554466 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC12186957 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1371/journal.pone.0325067 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-40554466
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Summary

This study investigated the sex-specific effects of commonly prescribed appetite suppressants on body weight and the manifestation of motor side effects, specifically stereotypy. Employing video recordings and DeepLabCut (DLC) for precise behavioral quantification, we analyzed stereotypy, defined as purposeless, repetitive motor behaviors, in male and female rats. Under control (saline) conditions, male rats exhibited a greater propensity for weight gain compared to females. However, in contrast, female rats demonstrated greater and more homogenous weight loss than males following the administration of diethylpropion and tesofensine. Phentermine and mazindol induced comparable weight loss in both sexes, whereas cathine elicited weight reduction exclusively in males. 5-HTP and d-amphetamine administration only prevented weight gain relative to controls. Analysis of motor side effects revealed that drugs primarily targeting dopamine pathways - specifically, phentermine, mazindol, diethylpropion, cathine, and d-amphetamine - induced pronounced stereotypies, particularly head-weaving, in both sexes. Interestingly, tesofensine elicited head-weaving behavior exclusively in female subjects, albeit to a lesser extent than that observed with other dopaminergic agents; conversely, tesofensine was most frequently associated with orolingual dyskinesia. Male subjects treated with these same drugs exhibited an unexpected effect: spontaneous ejaculations, potentially attributable to the combined effects on dopamine and serotonin signaling in brain regions regulating sexual function. Network analysis and Markov transition matrices revealed distinct behavioral profiles associated with head-weaving, which emerged as the dominant attractor state, suggesting potential mechanistic differences among these drugs. Collectively, this study provides a valuable database characterizing the behavioral side effects of appetite suppressants.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

3 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In rats, females showed greater and more homogeneous weight loss than males after tesofensine.

    In plain wordsIn rats, females lost more weight and showed less variation in weight loss than males after tesofensine.

    Peptide
    Tesofensine
    Outcome
    IncreaseSex-specific weight loss
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    male and female rats
    Comparator
    Male rats
    Outcome group
    Body weight · Metabolic and weight
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    However, in contrast, female rats demonstrated greater and more homogenous weight loss than males following the administration of diethylpropion and tesofensine.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Employing video recordings and DeepLabCut (DLC) for precise behavioral quantification, we analyzed stereotypy, defined as purposeless, repetitive motor behaviors, in male and female rats.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Safety outcome

    In rats, tesofensine elicited head-weaving only in females, at a lower extent than other dopaminergic agents.

    In plain wordsIn rats, tesofensine caused head-weaving only in females, with less behavior than other dopamine-targeting drugs.

    Peptide
    Tesofensine
    Outcome
    MixedHead-weaving stereotypy
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    male and female rats
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Interestingly, tesofensine elicited head-weaving behavior exclusively in female subjects, albeit to a lesser extent than that observed with other dopaminergic agents;
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Employing video recordings and DeepLabCut (DLC) for precise behavioral quantification, we analyzed stereotypy, defined as purposeless, repetitive motor behaviors, in male and female rats.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Safety outcome

    In rats, tesofensine was most frequently associated with orolingual dyskinesia.

    In plain wordsIn rats, tesofensine was most often linked to abnormal mouth and tongue movements.

    Peptide
    Tesofensine
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedOrolingual dyskinesia
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    male and female rats
    Outcome group
    Adverse events · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    conversely, tesofensine was most frequently associated with orolingual dyskinesia.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Employing video recordings and DeepLabCut (DLC) for precise behavioral quantification, we analyzed stereotypy, defined as purposeless, repetitive motor behaviors, in male and female rats.

Studies that did not test the peptide alone1

In this study, Tesofensine was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Tesofensine.

  1. 04AnimalNot a test of Tesofensine aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Safety outcome

    In male rats, the studied drug treatments were associated with spontaneous ejaculations, without a separate tesofensine estimate.

    In plain wordsIn rats, males receiving the studied drugs had spontaneous ejaculations. The abstract gives no separate tesofensine result.

    Peptide
    Tesofensine
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedSpontaneous ejaculations
    Study

    ratn: not reported in source

    male and female rats
    Outcome group
    Sexual function · Reproductive and sexual health

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Male subjects treated with these same drugs exhibited an unexpected effect: spontaneous ejaculations, potentially attributable to the combined effects on dopamine and serotonin signaling in brain regions regulating sexual function.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Employing video recordings and DeepLabCut (DLC) for precise behavioral quantification, we analyzed stereotypy, defined as purposeless, repetitive motor behaviors, in male and female rats.

    In this study, Tesofensine was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Tesofensine.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    21 Oct 2026, 15:58 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    21 Oct 2026, 12:50 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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