title: Feeding conditions and estrous cycle of female rats under the activity-stress procedure from aspects of anorexia nervosa.
abstract: The present study investigated the application of female rats with activity stress as an animal model for anorexia nervosa. Young female rats were singly housed in activity-wheel cages with food-restricted schedule (2, 3, or 4 h of food availability per day) for 3 weeks. Estrous cycle, body weight, food intake, and wheel revolution were recorded daily. Gastric pathology was also observed using the endoscopic technique. Rats that were subjected to either a 3- or 4-h feeding schedule exhibited the cessation of estrous cycle, loss of body weight, and suppression of food intake. These animals also showed a remarkable increase in running activity. However, they had no gastric lesions throughout the experimental period. On the contrary, the 2-h feeding schedule elicited severe gastric lesions and high mortality. The results suggest that behavioral and physiological changes of the young female rats with 3 or 4 h feeding share some symptoms of anorexia nervosa, although their anorexia is not self starvation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000503:physiopathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000503:physiopathology