Food deprivation and refeeding influence growth, nutrient retention and functional recovery of rats

The objective of this work was to determine the effects of starvation and r efeeding on growth, nutritional recovery and intestinal repair in starved r ats. Male Wistar rats, weighing 200 g, were starved for 3 d, then refed a s oy-based diet for another 3 d. Normally fed rats were given the same diet a nd used as controls. The variables assessed were as follows: body weight ga in and nitrogen retention during recovery after starvation; muscle glutamin e concentration; tissue protein content; gut mucosa and liver glutathione l evels; intestinal permeability to ovalbumin, lactulose and mannitol; and in testinal tissue apoptosis. Starvation was associated with lower muscle glut amine levels and intestinal mucosa impairment, including a lower content of mucosal protein, a higher level of oxidized glutathione, enhanced permeabi lity to macromolecules and greater numbers of apoptotic cells. Refeeding fo r 3 d resulted in rapid repair of gut atrophy and normalization of not only intestinal permeability but also of the majority of metabolic markers asse ssed in other tissues. In conclusion, with the use of severely starved rats , we have established a reversible experimental animal model of malnutritio n that might prove useful in comparing the effectiveness of different enter al diets.