The influence of diet on growth rate, thyroid hormone output, and thermoregulation in laboratory white rats

The physiological effects of the consumption of diets varying in protein and calorie content was assessed using young male Sprague-Dawley rats. Food intake (FI), water intake (WI), body weight (BW), rectal temperature (Tre), oxygen consumption (VO{dollar}\sb2{dollar}), hematocrit (Hct), Hemoglobin (Hb), plasma protein concentration (PP), and plasma levels of thyroxine (T{dollar}\sb4{dollar}), triiodothyronine (T{dollar}\sb3{dollar}), free thyroxine index (FT{dollar}\sb4{dollar}), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured. Food intake expressed per g BW was highest in the LP (5% protein) diet group, but body weight gain was the lower in the LP fed group compared to the Control group (22.5% protein). Decreases in dietary protein content were associated with of increased Hct, Hb, T{dollar}\sb4{dollar}, T{dollar}\sb3{dollar}, and heart weight along with decreased liver weight, plasma protein content, and gWI/gFI. The low calorie (LC) diet produced a decreased liver weight and PP, and a faster rise in Tre under cold stress along with a lower overall Tre during heat stress. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

1991

Author dc:creator

• Vanden Heuvel, Linda Susan

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/138

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-1137