Activity-based anorexia: relationship to gender and activity-stress ulcers.
The phenomena of activity-based anorexia (ABA) and the activity-stress ulcer (ASU) both involve paradigms in which the food intake of rats is restricted and the animals are allowed voluntary exercise in a running wheel. This study determined the susceptibility of male and female rats to ABA and ASU following 25- and 30-percent losses of their original body weights. Male rats reached both weight loss criteria in a fewer number of days than did female rats. None of the male and female rats sacrificed at the 25% weight loss criterion evidenced gastric lesions; 52% of the animals sacrificed at the 30% weight loss criterion had one or more lesions. No gender differences with respect to gastric lesions were observed at the 30% weight loss criterion; however, at both weight loss criteria, females ate and ran more than males. It is concluded that ASUs are a consequence rather than a cause of ABA, and that there is a sexually "dimorphic" susceptibility to ABA but not ASUs. The utility of using a 25% weight loss criterion for defining ABA is also discussed.
Doerries
L E
LE
Department of Psychology, Christopher Newport College, Newport News, VA 23606.
Stanley
E Z
EZ
Aravich
P F
PF
D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000473:pathology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000473:pathology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology