Evaluation of Nutritional Performance of Two Infant Flours in Young Wistar Rat

The present study was undertaken to provide detailed information on the effect of dietary fibre (DF) level on body composition, visceral organ weight, nutrient digestibility and on energy and protein metabolism of rats housed in cold (16 degrees), warm (24 degrees) or hot (32 degrees) thermal environments. High- or low-fibre diets (257 v. 56 g DF/kg dry matter (DM)) were studied in a 6-week balance experiment (initial body weight about 100 g). Heat production was measured using open-air circuit respiration chambers. Pea fibre and pectin were used to adjust the DF level in the high-fibre diet. The ranking order of daily gain of rats kept in different environments was: 24 degrees > 16 degrees > 32 degrees, while the ranking order for carcass protein was: 16 degrees > 24 degrees > 32 degrees. Rats on the high-DF diet had a lower daily gain than those on the low DF diet, and more protein in DM of empty body weight (EBW) and less fat. The relative weights (g/kg EBW) of liver, heart and kidney decreased when increasing the environmental temperature. The relative weight of the heart was highest in rats on the high DF level, while liver and kidney weights were unaffected by DF. Per kg EBW, the stomach, small intestine, caecum and colon and the length of colon were significantly greater in rats consuming the high-fibre diet compared with those on the low-fibre diet. Rats kept at low temperature had a significantly heavier gastrointestinal (GI) tract than those kept at the highest temperature. Digestibility of protein, DM and energy was lowest for rats fed on the high-fibre diet. Heat production (HP) of fed rats as well as fasting HP decreased significantly as environmental temperature increased. HP as a proportion of metabolizable energy (ME) was significantly lower for rats at 24 degrees compared with the other environmental temperatures. The proportion of energy retained as protein was slightly higher in rats fed on the high-fibre than on the low-fibre diet. Based on the results of the present study the authors measured a net energy value of 5.4 kJ/g DF fermented; approximately 50% of the DF came from peas. Possible implications of the present findings are discussed.

Heart and kidney weight of newborn rats was studied in two progenitor strains (Brown Norway - BN, and spontaneously hypertensive rats - SHR) and in 31 recombinant inbred (RI) strains developed by inbreeding of F2 cross derived from these two progenitors. The relative weight of both organs was significantly higher in SHR newborns than in BN ones. No differences in relative DNA, protein and water contents were detected in hearts from SHR and BN newborns. On the other hand, in SHR kidneys there was lower DNA and protein content accompanied by a higher water content. This suggested that kidneys of SHR babies had less cells with higher water content.The average body weight of newborns in individual RI strains was continuously distributed between both progenitor strains but more RI strains resembled values of SHR newborns. The opposite was true for relative heart and kidney weights where the predominant influence of BN genes was visible. Moreover, there was an important difference between two reciprocal crosses of RI strains because the relative heart weight was clustered around SHR values only in BxH but not in HxB cross. This was, however, not observed for body weight and relative kidney weight.

The immunotoxic potential of trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PERC) was assessed after inhalation exposure through the evaluation of the antibody forming cell (AFC) response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to TCE or PERC vapor at 0, 100, 300, or 1000 ppm for 6 h/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks (20 exposure days). Additional 0 ppm control groups were included and were dosed with cyclophosphamide via intraperitoneal injection to serve as positive immunosuppressive controls in the SRBC assay. Additional end-points evaluated included liver, kidney, spleen, and thymus weights, hematology, cellular differentials in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, histopathology of select tissues, and assessment of the phagocytic activity of pulmonary alveolar macrophage (PERC only). Exposure to the high concentration of TCE (1000 ppm) resulted in increases in relative liver and kidney weights and suppression of AFC responses (AFC/spleen and AFC/106 spleen cells) by ≈ 70%, while no treatment-related effects were noted at 100 and 300 ppm. Animals exposed to PERC at levels of 300 or 1000 ppm had statistically significant increases in relative liver weights that were accompanied by very slight hypertrophy of the centrilobular hepatocytes. Animals exposed to PERC did not demonstrate a treatment-related effect on the AFC response and no effect was noted on the phagocytic activity of pulmonary alveolar macrophages. The results of these studies indicate that TCE had immunotoxic potential only at high exposure concentrations (1000 ppm), while PERC, at similar exposure concentrations, did not display any evidence of immunotoxicity.

Experiments were conducted to determine the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the development of control and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-exposed C57Bl/6 male mice. Male and female mice heterozygous for the AhR (Ahr +/-) were mated, and pregnant females were dosed orally on gestation day 13 with corn oil vehicle or TCDD (5 µg/kg). Pups were necropsied on postnatal day (PND) 21, 35, and 90. Comparison of vehicle-exposed wild-type (Ahr +/+) pups with vehicle-exposed AhR knockout (AhRKO; Ahr -/-) pups confirmed and extended previous reports that development of the liver, heart, spleen, thymus, and kidney is affected by absence of the AhR. Lung, submandibular gland, testis, and epididymis weights were also affected, indicating that the AhR plays a role in normal development of these organs as well. The presence or absence of the AhR had no effect on the incidence of hydronephrosis, daily sperm production, or cauda epididymal sperm numbers in vehicle-exposed mice. TCDD caused numerous effects in wild-type mice that were absent in AhRKO mice; specifically, hydronephrosis, increases in relative liver and heart weight, decreases in absolute heart and lung weight, and decreases in absolute and relative thymus, submandibular gland, epididymis, and testis weight. In several cases, TCDD produced one effect in wild-type mice (reductions in body weight and absolute thymus, submandibular gland, and epididymis weight on PND 21; and reductions in absolute and relative submandibular gland and absolute testis weight on PND 35) but caused the opposite effect in AhRKO mice. In yet other cases (reduced relative spleen weight on PND 21 and reductions in absolute and relative thymus weight on PND 35), TCDD produced similar effects in wild-type and AhRKO mice. There were also cases in which TCDD significantly affected AhRKO mice without significantly altering the same endpoint in wild-type mice; absolute liver, lung, and kidney weight were increased and relative submandibular gland weight was decreased on PND 21; relative heart weight was reduced and absolute lung weight increased on PND 35; and relative liver weight was decreased on PND 90. Although many effects of TCDD required the presence of the AhR, these results provide evidence either for multiple forms of the AhR in mice (one or more of which are still present in AhRKO mice), or for AhR-independent effects of low-level TCDD exposure.

This study aims to investigate the effect of unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) on markers of hepatic dysfunction in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Blood glucose; relative liver weight (RLW); relative kidney weight (RKW); relative heart weight (RHW); relative pancreatic weight (RPW); serum and hepatic serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP); serum amylase, lipase, total, and conjugated bilirubin; and chemical analysis of the test feed were determined using standard techniques. The diabetic rats had significant alteration (P < 0.05) of blood glucose; RLW; RKW; RPW; serum and hepatic AST, ALT, and ALP; serum total and conjugated bilirubin; and serum lipase activities compared with nondiabetic while these parameters were significantly improved (P < 0.05) in the rats fed unripe plantain. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the RHW of the rats in the three groups, as well as significant decreases (P < 0.05) in the amylase levels of the diabetic rats compared with the nondiabetic, but there was nonsignificant increase (P > 0.05) in the amylase levels of the rats fed unripe plantain compared with the nondiabetic rats. The test and standard rat feeds contained considerable amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, phenols, and crude fiber. Amelioration of acute pancreatitis by unripe plantain could play a key role in its management of diabetes and related complications.

A 13-week subchronic toxicity study of hinokitiol administered in the diet to F344 rats

Subchronic toxicity evaluation of 5-hexenyl isothiocyanate, a nature identical flavoring substance from Wasabia japonica, in F344/DuCrj rats

Mn Concentration in Organs of Rats After Implantation of Battery Cathode Material

Wistar rats (25/ sex • group) and CD-1 mice (30/sex • group) were fed either a control diet or diet supplemented with N,N-dimethylformamide at the levels of 215, 750, and 2500 ppm for rats and 160,540, and 1850 ppm for mice. The duration of feeding was 104 days for rats and 119 days for mice. Body weight gain, food consumption, hematological and clinical chemical data, ophthalmic, gross, and microscopic examinations were used to study possible toxic or pathologic effects. A significant reduction in body weight gain was noted for male and female rats at the high dosage level. Food consumption in male rats at the high-dosage level and female rats at both the middle- and high-dosage levels was decreased. A significant dose-related increase in relative liver weights was noted in male and female rats. Absolute liver weights of male rats were comparable among groups, however, a dose-related increase was noted in female rats. No significant differences among groups were noted in body weight and food consumption data for mice. A significant dose-related increase in relative and absolute liver weights was noted in male and female mice. Histopathological evaluation revealed no evidence of a toxic effect related to feeding of N.N-dimethylformamide to Wistar rats and CD-1 mice. The increase in liver weight is considered to be a normal phenomenon (physiological adaptation) required for the biotransformation of N,N-dimethylformamide. The lack of hepatotoxicity in the present study may be the result of feeding N,N-dimethylf ormamide over waking hours versus bolus dosing (in other studies) in which hepatotoxicity was noted.

Hepatic peroxisome proliferation and hypolipidemic effects of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in neonatal and adult rats

Effect of kolaviron, a biflavanoid complex from Garcinia kola on some biochemical parameters in experimentally induced benign prostatic hyperplasic rats.

Previous studies in young normal rats have shown that intracerebral administration of the proteinase inhibitor, leupeptin, caused a rapid accumulation of lipofuscin-like pigment in lysosomes of brain cells (Ivy et al., 1984a). On the other hand, we have recently found that the administration of lovastatin, an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, reduced the ceroid-like pigment and dolichol contents in the crushed epididymal fat pad of rats (Porta et al., 1988). In order to study now the possible modulating effects of these enzyme inhibitors on ceroidogenesis associated with vitamin E deficiency, two main groups of weanling Wistar female rats were respectively fed ad libitum a vitamin E-deficient basal diet, or the same diet supplemented with 16 mg% of dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate. The vitamin E-deficient and -supplemented rats were further subdivided and received for 8 weeks their diets alone or with 2, 1, or 0.5 g of lovastatin/kg of diet. Other subgroups were treated with constant peritoneal infusion of 0.5 mg/day of leupeptin by means of osmotic minipumps (Alzet 2002) consecutively implanted at days 15, 30, and 45. Lovastatin treatment to vitamin E-deficient rats was associated with dose-dependent toxicity, resulting in 100%, 75%, and 50% mortality at concentrations of 2, 1, and 0.5 g/kg diet, respectively. This mortality was mainly due to extensive hepatic necrosis. Food intake and growth rates were reduced, while the relative weights of liver, kidneys, spleen, heart and brain, as well as the serum levels of GPT and GOT were significantly increased over the values of the untreated vitamin E-deficient control rats. The volumetric densities of ceroid pigment and the dolichol contents in liver and kidneys were not significantly modified. Lovastatin toxicity was partially prevented by vitamin E supplementation. However, in these supplemented rats, lovastatin treatment did not modify the volumetric densities of hepatic and renal ceroid, although the contents of hepatic and renal dolichol were significantly increased. No correlations could be found between levels of hepatic or renal ceroid and total dolichol content in vitamin E-deficient and supplemented rats. Leupeptin treatment to vitamin E-deficient rats only slightly reduced food intake and growth rates, and did not significantly modify the relative organ weights or the serum levels of cholesterol, GOT and GPT. Although in both vitamin E-deficient and -supplemented rats the leupeptin treatment consistently showed a tendency to increase the volumetric densities of hepatic and renal ceroid pigment, the differences with the control untreated rats were not statistically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Influence of Ochratoxin A and T-2 Toxin Singly and in Combination on Broiler Chickens

Cyflumetofen is a novel acaricide which is highly active against phytophagous mites. As a part of safety assessment, a repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study of cyflumetofen was conducted in Fischer (F344/DuCrj) rats of both sexes. Technical grade cyflumetofen was administered in feed to groups of 10 males and 10 females at dose levels of 0, 100, 300, 1,000, and 3,000 ppm. Prothrombin time was prolonged in males at 3,000 ppm and plasma globulin levels were decreased in females at 1,000 and 3,000 ppm. At necropsy, enlarged and whitish adrenals were observed in females at 3,000 ppm. There were statistically significant increases in relative liver weight (ratio to body weight) in males and relative adrenal weight in females in the 1,000 ppm group; increased relative liver and kidney weights in both sexes at 3,000 ppm, and increased absolute and relative weights of adrenals in females at 3,000 ppm. Increased absolute liver weight was also noted in males at 3,000 ppm. Histopathologically, at 1,000 and 3,000 ppm males had diffuse vacuolation and females had diffuse hypertrophy of adrenal cortical cells. In addition, vacuolation of ovarian interstitial gland cells was noted in females at 1,000 and 3,000 ppm. There were no treatment-related changes in any parameters for either sex in other dose groups. Based on these results, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of cyflumetofen was judged to be 300 ppm for both sexes (16.5 mg/kg/day for males and 19.0 mg/kg/day for females).

Anti-arthritic effect and subacute toxicological evaluation of Baccharis genistelloides aqueous extract