The effect of protein deficiency on maze performance of domestic Norway rats.

Abstract

The study was designed to determine whether rats kept on a protein free diet from weaning until adulthood would differ significantly in maze running behavior from normally fed animals when the goal consisted of: (1) a balanced diet, (2) a protein free diet. A group of 40 inbred albino and hooded rats were divided into 2 groups of 20 rats each at weaning. One group (C) was kept until adulthood on standard McCollum diet, the other (E) was fed a protein free formula. At the time of maze trials the subjects were grouped in accord with the goal object to which they were run. Ten animals in group (C) were run to standard McCollum diet, the other 10 had the protein free food as goal object. The expt. group (E) was divided in the same manner. The letters (B) and (D) were used to designate whether the group was run to a balanced or a deficient diet. The results of the study demonstrated that group EB made significantly fewer maze errors than groups CB, ED, and CD at the one, five, and one % levels of confidence respectively. No differences were found to exist among groups CB, ED, or CD.