Protein-calorie deficiency in rats

Abstract

1. Rats born of well-fed mothers and maintained from weaning on diets having protein values of NDpCal% = 10 or 5 were mated at 3 months of age with well-fed males. 2. The litters produced by the malnourished mothers weighed significantly less (P > 0.01) than those from the well-fed group. 3. The average number of individuals per litter was lower in the malnourished than in the well-fed group, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P < 0.0 5 ). 4. The congenitally malnourished litters weighed less than the well-fed even when litters of equal number were compared. 5. The differences in litter weights were not related to the length of gestation, which was similar in both groups. 6. There was a high neonatal death rate (63%) among the congenitally malnourished animals and the survivors grew very slowly so that at 5 weeks of age they weighed only half as much as the well-fed controls.