Objective   To observe effects of stress on food intake of rats and discuss the related influential factors.

  Methods   Wistar rats were divided into four groups randomly: control group, one-week, two-week, three-week stress groups. Food intake was determined during the experiment. Corticotropin-releasing hormone and neurotensin content in brain were measured. And neurotensin, gastrin, acetylcholinesterase level in plasma were observed.

  Results   Stress reduced food intake in stress groups, especially the two-week and three-week stress groups. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of rats in stress groups was activated and had a tendency to be adaptive during the third week. Neurotensin content in brain and plasma demonstrated a trend that increased in early stress phase and decreased in late stress phase. Stress caused gastrin level in plasma to increase significantly and acetylcholinesterase level to decrease evidently.

  Conclusion   Food intake of rats could be reduced during stress. The mechnisms might include the activated HPA axis, the action of vagus and the regulation of brain-gut peptides such as nemotensin and gastrin.