The effect of repeated starvation on the developing laboratory rat (with special reference to the central nervous system)
Trojanová, M.; Mourek, J.; Blazková, Z.
Sbornik Lekarsky 87(6): 145-152
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-5327 PMID: 4048822 Document Number: 258168
The authors investigated in rats (Wistar strain of own bred) the effect of repeated fasting on some basic indicators of the growth of the organism during ontogenesis. The rats fasted first at the age of 2, 7, 11 and 27 days of postnatal life, and also full grown rats. Fasting took place on three consecutive days always for 18 hours. The suckling pups were for that time isolated from the mother and nest and placed into an incubator at 30.degree., and for the rest of the day they were returned to the nest. Weaned pups and full grown rats were deprived of food and water. The analysis was made immediately after the last fast. Repeated fasting caused in all age groups a drop of the body weight, slower longitudinal growth and in the younger age groups a diminution of the weight of different parts of the brain (cerebellum, medulla oblongata, subcortical grey matter, hemispheres). Repeated fasting caused also changes in the protein and water content of the brain. The youngest age groups were most severely affected. In 30-day-old rats as a result of intermittent fasting a marked increase of the protein content in all investigated portions of the central nervous system occurred.