EFFECTS OF FEEDING A LIQUID DIET FOR ONE-YEAR TO NEW-ZEALAND WHITE-RABBITS

We compared the long term effects of a newly designed liquid diet with a commercially available dry diet in New Zealand White rabbits, Body weight gain, feed consumption, and plasma lipid concentrations were me asured periodically throughout the 1-year study, In addition, specific hepatic enzyme activities in serum were quantified to examine the eff ects of liquid diet on the liver over the 1-year feeding trial, At 52 weeks, body weight gains between the liquid-and dry-fed groups were si milar, Regardless of sex, plasma phospholipid concentrations were high er in the control group than in the liquid-fed group, Plasma triglycer ide concentrations were increased in liquid-fed female rabbits, compar ed with either male group or controlled females, A somewhat similar ef fect was observed in plasma cholesterol concentration, which was highe r in female rabbits regardless of diet type, After the 52-week trial, the rabbits had no clinical biochemical signs of liver damage, Results of this study indicate that a liquid diet can be fed to New Zealand W hite rabbits for a long period, and may provide an alternative route ( food source) for future pathophysiologic studies.