The effect of rehabilitation at different stages of development of rats marginally malnourished for ten to twelve generations

Br J Nutr. 1980 May;43(3):403-12. doi: 10.1079/bjn19800108.

Abstract

1. Rats which have been maintained for ten to twelve generations on diets of low protein value were rehabilitated in utero (group P), from birth (group F) and from 4 weeks of age (group W). 2. Group W showed little change in physique, behaviour or learning, indicating that for recovery to be effective refeeding must begin earlier. 3. Group F just failed to attain full physical recovery (90%) whereas group P overgrew by 18.6% in weight and 8.5% in length. 4. In a test designed to evaluate learning ability rehabilitated rats of groups P and F were significantly less successful than normal rats, but more successful than rats of group W or rats of the original undernourished colony. 5. Rehabilitation for a further two generations in groups F and P corrected any residual physical and behavioural defects but produced no further improvement on the Lashley (1938) jumping platform.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Age Factors
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Biometry
  • Body Weight
  • Cephalometry
  • Female
  • Femur / pathology
  • Learning
  • Male
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / diet therapy
  • Protein-Energy Malnutrition / diet therapy*
  • Protein-Energy Malnutrition / embryology
  • Protein-Energy Malnutrition / genetics
  • Rats