THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSPORTATION STRESS ON SELECTED NUTRITIONAL PARAMETERS TO ESTABLISH THE NECESSARY MINIMUM PERIOD FOR ADAPTATION IN RAT-FEEDING STUDIES

The optimal length of the adaptation period after transportation of ra ts, to be used in nutritional studies, was investigated in this study. After intracontinental transportation of rats by car and by air to an d from the laboratory for a total period of 15 h, measurements were ca rried out for a period of 3 weeks after transport. Control and transpo rted animals were housed in the same laboratory before and after trans portation During transport the animals had access to food and water. A s blood collection could also cause stress, a factorial design was car ried out with transport and blood collection as main factors. Transpor t or blood collection did not cause significant effects on the followi ng parameters: body weight, growth, clinical observation, and blood en zyme activities of LDH and ASAT. Water intake was significantly increa sed after transport. Food intake did not show consistent effects after transport or blood collection. Unexpectedly, blood corticosterone lev els were significantly lower in the transported animals at day 1 after transport. After 3 days these levels were back to normal. Blood gluco se, blood free fatty acids and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were incidentally decreased, whereas total cholesterol levels showed an in cidental rise in the transported rats. The open-field behaviour test r evealed no clear-cut results concerning the effects of transport or bl ood collection on faeces production, rearing and ambulation. Our resul ts indicate that after intracontinental transport, an adaptation perio d of 3 days appears to be sufficient for rats to be used in nutritiona l studies.