N‐acetylcysteine reduces addiction‐like behaviour towards high‐fat high‐sugar food in diet‐induced obese rats

Compulsive forms of eating displayed by some obese individuals share similarities with compulsive drug-taking behaviour, a hallmark feature substance use disorder. This raises the possibility that drug addiction treatments may show utility in treatment overeating. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is cysteine pro-drug which has experienced success clinical trials, reducing cocaine, marijuana and cigarette use, as well behaviours such gambling trichotillomania. We assessed impact NAC on addiction-like behaviour towards highly palatable food rat model diet-induced obesity. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were placed high-fat high-sugar diet for 8 weeks then assigned to obesity-prone (DIO) or obesity-resistant (DR) groups based weight gain. DIO DR subjected an operant conditioning paradigm whereby could lever press pellets. alternated periods signalled reward unavailability. Before ate more their home cage, earned pellets sessions, responded during unavailability (suggestive compulsive-like seeking) compared rats. persistent responding absence was ameliorated daily injections (100 mg/kg, i.p.) 14 days. By end period, lever-pressing NAC-treated resembled These findings suggest reduces supports potential this compound