Early protein-restriction-induced hyperphagia: a behavioural analysis

Abstract

. These observations have led to the proposal that a dysfunction of the neuronal circuits regulating foodintake is a key step in the development of obesity associated with malnutrition in early life. To date, all the behavioural studies on thedevelopmental programming of feeding have relied exclusively on the measurement of the amount of food consumed over a 12h or a 24hperiod. However, measurement of food intake alone does not enable the differentiation of speciÞc and non-speciÞc effects on feeding anddoes not provide any information about the underlying mechanism by which early nutrient restriction affects the normal physiologicalregulation of appetite, i.e. through changes in hunger motivation and/or satiety. The aim of the present study was to identify intrinsicdifferences in feeding patterns between control and perinatally-undernourished rats.The temporal pattern of feeding and the behavioural satiety sequence under conditions of standard chow intake were investigated in theyoung offspring of Sprague-Dawley rats fed either a control (200g/kg) or a low-protein (80g/kg; LP) diet throughout pregnancy andlactation. The feeding pattern and some metabolic variables were examined in control and LP rats at 240d of age under conditions ofexposure to a high-fat (260g/kg) diet in order to determine whether the hyperphagia observed in the offspring of malnourished animalsplays a role in determining the development of obesity and the maintenance of the obese state once established.In agreement with previous observations