Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Reducing Olanzapine-Induced Weight Gain Side-Effect By Using Betahistine: A Study In The Rat Model, Chao Deng, Jiamei Lian, Nagesh Brahmavar Pai, Xu-Feng Huang

Xu-Feng Huang

Olanzapine is effective at treating multiple domains of schizophrenia symptoms. However, it induces serious metabolic side effects. Antipsychotic drug’s antagonistic affinity to histamine H1 receptors has been identified as a main contributor for weight gain/obesity side effects. This study therefore investigated whether a combined treatment of betahistine (a H1 receptor agonist and H3 receptor antagonist) could reduce the body weight/obesity induced by olanzapine. Female Sprague Dawley rats were treated orally with olanzapine (1 mg/kg, t.i.d.) and/or betahistine (2.67 mg/kg, t.i.d.), or vehicle for two weeks. Rats treated with olanzapine exhibited significant body weight gain and increased food intake. Co-treatment of …

Preventing And Treating Olanzapine-Induced Obesity With Betahistine: A Chronic Animal Model Study, Jiamei Lian, Xu-Feng Huang, Nagesh Pai, Chao Deng

Xu-Feng Huang

Objective : Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic drug, is widely prescribed to treat schizophrenia, but induces serious weight gain/ obesity side-effects. Antipsychotic drugs antagonistic affinity for histamine H1 receptors is the main indicator of weight gain side-effects. This study aimed to investigate whether chronic treatment with betahistine (H1 receptor agonist/H3 receptor antagonist) could prevent/ treat olanzapine-induced weight gain at different stages of treatment.

Methods : Female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered under 5 conditions (n=12) : (1) Rats were treated with vehicle (control) during whole experimental period ; (2) ‘‘Obesity treatment group’’ : 5 weeks olanzapine treatment (1 mg/kg, t.i.d.), followed by …