Body weight change and nutritional adequacy in the parenterally alimented rat

Abstract

Positive nitrogen balance and normal weight gain are possible in a parenterally nourished rat model, but changes in liver histology, protein content, and disintegrations per minute per microgram of DNA indicate persistently abnormal nutrition despite adequate calorie and nitrogen intake. Increasing the nitrogen content and decreasing the caloric load of the iv fluids reduces, but does not eliminate, the abnormalities relative to orally alimented controls if similar weight gain patterns are desired. The nutritional abnormalities appear to be related to ineffective utilization of substrate. All comparisons between iv and orally fed animals are suspect unless careful controls of nutritional equivalence are included.