Changes in the relative weights of the various parts, systems and organs of young albino rats underfed for various periods

Abstract

It ha recently been shown that although growth in body weight in the young rat may be completely suppressed by underfeeding 301

The effects of early inanition on a developmental schedule in the albino rat.

“…The amount of retardation varies among the different measures used. This agrees with the findings of Stewart (25) who has already shown in his studies on the effect of inanition upon the growth tendencies in the albino rat that the growth tendencies of the various organs and systems are affected differently by inanition. The behavior of the animals as measured by the first appearance of the response to sound and the scores obtained in the maze situation was also affected.…”

The effect of a submaintenance diet on the composition of the pig

“…The weight of brain in the submaintenance pigs increased progressively to 133-3 % of the control. The tendency for the brain to continue to grow during starvation has already been noted by Manassein (1869) in young rabbits and by Stewart (1918) in albino rats. Trowbridge et al (1918Trowbridge et al ( , 1922 found that the brain weight in underfed steers at various ages was higher than in full-fed controls at the same body weight.…”

The Effect of Undernutrition and Rehabilitation on the Development of the Reproductive Organs: Rats

“…in 131 days on a high plane of nutrition and 104 g. when they had reached a slightly lower weight on a low plane in the course of 330 days. Few, if any, such observations have been made on female animals since those of Stewart (1918), or on the effects of rehabilitation on either sex. McCance (1960), however, andWiddowson (1962) pointed out that rapid rehabilitation after prolonged undernutrition in sucking pigs might lead to conspicuous hypertrophy of the vulva and testes, and McCance (1962) has shown that undernutrition, even if very severe, did not prevent some developmental changes going on in the ovaries.…”

“…It has also been recognized for a long time that if a growing rat is subjected to a period of undernutrition, the testes increase in weight relatively more than the body (Stewart, 1918) and may even gain weight when the body is losing weight (Siperstein, 1921). Undernutrition may induce changes of regression in the testes of an adult rat, and Siperstein (1921) showed that these two effects of a food deficiency might go on side by side.…”