The Effects of Diet, Ad Libitum Overfeeding, and Moderate Dietary Restriction on the Rodent Bioassay: The Uncontrolled Variable in Safety Assessment

Abstract

Ad libitum (AL) overfeeding is the most significant, uncontrolled variable affecting the outcome of the current rodent bioassay. There is a highly significant correlation between AL food consumption, the resultant obesity and body weight, and low 2-yr survival in rodents. AL feeding of diets with lowered protein, metabolizable energy (ME), and increased fiber does not

Exercício e restrição alimentar aumentam o RNAm de proteínas do trânsito de Ca2+ miocárdico em ratos

“…However, depending on the intensity, duration and frequency of FR and physical activity, there may be damage to the organism [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] . Research shows that this association may depress 8 or improve cardiac performance 9,10 .…”

A novel dietary restriction method for group-housed rats: weight gain and clinical chemistry characterization

“…The practice of AL feeding has various widely recognized drawbacks and in rodent experiments AL feeding has been considered as the least controlled factor in biomedical studies. 1 In summary, it is rather surprising that AL feeding of laboratory mice and rats seems to be the norm all over the world.…”

“…they make a better recovery from surgery and they exhibit reduced reactions to inflammatory agents. 1,7 The method of feeding can also affect a variety of physiological parameters in younger animals prior to changes in morbidity and mortality. DR has been shown to decrease the white blood cell count, as well as neutrophil and lymphocyte numbers, 2,8,9 whereas erythrocyte count, haematocrit and haemoglobin are reported to increase.…”

Down-regulation of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum ryanodine channel in severely food-restricted rats

“…Food restriction induces beneficial health effects such as increased longevity and retards or prevents a broad spectrum of agerelated pathophysiological changes such as loss of skeletal muscle mass, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cancer (1)(2)(3). Recent research from our laboratory has shown that 50% food restriction promotes left ventricular dysfunction and increases contraction and relaxation times in isolated papillary muscle of both young Wistar-Kyoto normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats (4-7).…”