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Effect of Food Restriction on Metabolic Alterations in "Control Animals" Used in Studies on Biotin-deficient Rats^1,2,

Division of Nutritional Biochemistry, Department of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

Different types of "control animals" used in investigations on biotin-deficient rats have been studied. The effect of restricted food intake (10 g), offered as one, two, or four equal meals a day, on metabolic patterns of control animals was investigated. Although the rate of glycogen synthesis in livers of control animals was not altered, it was considerably greater in diaphragms of animals given a restricted amount of food than in animals fed ad libitum. This increase was even more significant in animals fed multiple meals. The synthesis in vitro of fatty acids from labeled glucose or acetate by adipose tissues from animals given a restricted amount of food as a single meal was greatly increased compared with animals fed ad libitum. This increase was less marked in animals given multiple meals. The present study shows that metabolic alterations are induced in control animals as a consequence of food restriction. In view of these findings the noncritical use of "pair-fed," "pair-weighed" and "trained-fed" animals as "controls" in nutritional studies could lead to erroneous conclusions.

² Taken in part from a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph.D. degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana.

³ Present address: Fels Research Institute, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Manuscript received 15 January 1969.