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.