The role of body size in climbing and locomotor behavior of protein‐malnourished and well‐nourished rats

Abstract

Behavioral comparisons of malnourished and well‐nourished rats often involve animals of different sizes–even after rehabilitation of malnourished animals. The role of body size in two kinds of behavior affected by early malnutrition was investigated. Rats subjected to protein restriction during the preweaning period (LH) or during the pre‐ and postweaning periods (LL) climbed more than well‐nourished rats (HH) at the ages of 35–225 days. This difference reflected differences in body weight; at comparable body weights LH and LL rats climbed no more than HH rats. Females climbed more than males, which also reflected differences in size, but decreases with age did not depend entirely on growth. LH rats were more active in running wheels than HH rats. For both LH and LL rats, the overall changes with diet and age resembled those in climbing, except that the effects of sex, but not age, were partly independent of size.