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Malnourished Rats (malnourished + rat)
Selected AbstractsEffect of undernourishment on Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 ocular infection in the Wistar rat modelINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2002FABIÁN BENENCIA Abstract. ,We have studied the susceptibility to Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) infection in malnourished rats. Groups of 10 rats were undernourished during suckling by offspring duplication. The animals were put on commercial diet and at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 weeks after weaning, infected in the eye by scarification with HSV-1, strain F. Significant differences in morbidity and mortality were observed between malnourished and control groups infected three weeks after weaning. Viral titres were higher in ocular washings and brains obtained from the malnourished group. This group showed a diminution in antigen dependent lymphocyte proliferation compared to control, and significantly lower delayed type hypersensitivity reaction against inactivated virus (malnourished = 0.16 ± 0.02 mm, control = 0.26 ± 0.03 mm, p < 0.05). Neutralizing antibodies in serum were lower in the malnourished group and lower levels of interferon were obtained in the malnourished group 24 h post-infection. We conclude that malnutrition during suckling induces a delay in the capability to overcome HSV infection. [source] Life-long protein malnutrition in the rat (Rattus norvegicus) results in altered patterns of craniofacial growth and smaller individualsJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 6 2006Shannon L. Lobe Abstract Dietary protein is a limiting factor in mammalian growth, significantly affecting the non-linear trajectories of skeletal growth. Young females may be particularly vulnerable to protein malnutrition if the restriction is not lifted before they become reproductive. With such early malnutrition, limited amino acids would be partitioned between two physiological objectives, successful reproduction vs. continued growth. Thus, the consequences of protein malnutrition could affect more than one generation. However, few studies have quantified these cross-generational effects. Our objective was to test for differences in skeletal growth in a second generation of malnourished rats compared with rats malnourished only post-weaning, the first generation and with controls. In this longitudinal study we modelled the growth of 22 craniofacial measurements with the logistic Gompertz equation, and tested for differences in the equation's parameters among the diet groups. The female offspring of post-weaning malnourished dams did not catch up in size to the first generation or to controls, although certain aspects of their craniofacial skeleton were less affected than others. The second generation's growth trajectories resembled the longer and slower growth of the first malnourished generation. There was a complex interaction between developmental processes and early nutritional environment, which affected variation of adult size. [source] Prenatal protein malnourished rats show changes in sleep/wake behavior as adultsJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 1 2000Subimal Datta SUMMARY Prenatal protein malnutrition significantly elevates brain levels of serotonin in rats, and these levels remain elevated throughout their lives. This biogenic amine is involved in the regulation of many physiological functions, including the normal sleep/wake cycle. The present study examined the effects of prenatal protein malnutrition on the sleep/wake cycle of freely moving adult rats. Six prenatally protein malnourished (6% casein) and 10 well-nourished (25% casein) male rats (90,120-day-old) were chronically implanted with a standard set of electrodes (to record cortical electroencephalogram, neck muscle electromyogram, electrooculogram, and hippocampal theta wave) to objectively measure states of sleep and wakefulness. Six-hour polygraphic recordings were made between 10.00 and 16.00 h; a time when the rats normally sleep. Prenatally malnourished rats spent 20% more time in slow wave sleep (SWS) compared to the well-nourished rats. The total percentage of time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was 61% less in prenatally malnourished rats compared to well-nourished control rats. These findings demonstrate the adverse consequences of prenatal protein malnutrition on the quality and quantity of adult sleep in rats. These sleep changes are potentially detrimental to normal social behavior and cognitive functions. Prenatally malnourished rats are an excellent animal model to study the role of endogenous serotonin in the regulation of the normal sleep/wake cycle. [source] | ||||||||||