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THE EFFECTS OF PROTEIN MALNUTRITION ON THE GROWTH OF A SECOND GENERATION OF RATS MAINTAINED ON A LOW PROTEIN DIET

NIEHAUS, SHANNON LEE
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1005944524

Abstract Details

2001, MS, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences : Biological Sciences.
Protein is an essential dietary nutrient for mammalian growth and is often a limiting factor in nature. Seasonal changes could lead to a short-term depletion of protein resources. Ecological and environmental occurrences, however, could cause a long term depletion of resources, affecting many generations. I investigated the effects of protein malnutrition on the growth trajectories of second generation rats maintained on a low (4%) protein diet. The difference between the two generations was that the first generation had normally nourished mothers, and received normal nutrition through weaning. The second generation had chronically malnourished mothers, and as such, received less protein during gestation and suckling. The second generation rats were maintained on the 4% protein diet after weaning. A laboratory setting allowed us to perform a controlled study of what is possible in nature. Second generation rats were weighed daily from birth and radiographed from weaning until past adult size. Craniofacial skeletal measurements from the radiographs of these second generation rats were digitized and the importance of these data were compared to the data collected from control and first generation low protein rats. Organ and muscle weights were examined and compared to similar data for the control and first generation low protein animals using a multifactor ANOVA. The nonlinear Gompertz growth model was fit to the body weight and craniofacial skeletal measurements of each rat. The Gompertz was used because it yields biologically significant growth parameters. Differences among treatments for each parameter were tested using one-way ANOVAs. The primary hypothesis of this study was that these second generation rats would achieve the same final adult body weight and skeletal size as the other two treatments, but have a significantly longer duration of growth. However, these results do not support the hypothesis suggesting that protein malnutrition throughout the entire duration of growth is too great an insult for the second generation animals to reach the same adult body weight and skeletal size as the other two treatments. The organs and muscles of the second generation low protein animals were less affected than the skeletal system.
Dr. Rebecca Z. German (Advisor)
1 p.
protein malnutrition; rats; growth; Gompertz Growth Model

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Citations

  • NIEHAUS, S. L. (2001). THE EFFECTS OF PROTEIN MALNUTRITION ON THE GROWTH OF A SECOND GENERATION OF RATS MAINTAINED ON A LOW PROTEIN DIET [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1005944524

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • NIEHAUS, SHANNON. THE EFFECTS OF PROTEIN MALNUTRITION ON THE GROWTH OF A SECOND GENERATION OF RATS MAINTAINED ON A LOW PROTEIN DIET. 2001. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1005944524.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • NIEHAUS, SHANNON. "THE EFFECTS OF PROTEIN MALNUTRITION ON THE GROWTH OF A SECOND GENERATION OF RATS MAINTAINED ON A LOW PROTEIN DIET." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1005944524

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.