Abstract
Summary: Malnutrition was induced in the immediate postnatal period by expanding newborn litters to 20 rat pups/dam. The reversibility of the effects of malnutrition on the pancreas was evaluated by comparing two different feeding methods. At 21 days of age, pups from the expanded litters exhibited significantly decreased body (P < 0.0005) and pancreatic (P < 0.0025) weights as compared to those from control litters (12 pups/dam). Malnourished pups also had less contents of amylase (P < 0.01), lipase (P < 0.0005) and trypsinogen (P < 0.0025) in their pancreases. The concentrations (specific activities) of amylase (P < 0.05) and lipase (P < 0.0125) were significantly decreased but trypsinogen (P < 0.35) was not affected.
Subsequent nutritional rehabilitation by an ad libitum (food available 24 h/day) or restricted (food available 2 h/day) feeding regimen failed to allow for “catch-up” in body (P < 0.025) and pancreatic weight (P < 0.05) by 56 days of life. With ad libitum feedings, enzyme contents and concentrations of amylase and lipase in malnourished animals attained control values by 7 and 14 days, respectively. Restricted feedings, however, delayed the recovery in amylase by an additional 7 days but lipase remained depressed in both content, (P < 0.005) and specific activity (P < 0.0025) for the duration of the experiment (56 days). Changes in pancreatic enzymes in response to malnutrition are readily reversible with ad libitum feedings but changes in somatic and pancreatic weights were not reversed. Restricted feedings have no advantage in promoting the rate of recovery of the pancreas after postnatal malnutrition.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rossi, T., Lee, PC. & Lebenthal, E. Effect of Feeding Regimens on the Functional Recovery of Pancreatic Enzymes in Postnatally Malnourished Weanling Rats. Pediatr Res 17, 806–809 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198310000-00008
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198310000-00008
This article is cited by
-
Exocrine pancreatic function of children from the ivory coast compared to French children
Digestive Diseases and Sciences (1986)