title: Effect of restriction in daily feeding periods on reproduction in the female rat.
abstract: Effects of restriction in daily feeding periods (2, 4, 8 and 12 hrs) imposed in 21 days old rats for 9 weeks were studied on the food intake, body growth, onset of puberty, reproductive cyclicity and ovarian functions. Control rats were feeding for 24 hrs ad lib. Though the restriction in feeding periods had no effect on the daily food intake but body growth was significantly reduced. Restricted feeding for 2, 4 and 8 hrs daily resulted in the delay in the onset of puberty, inhibition of oestrous cyclicity, reduction in ovarian weights, reduced growth, increased atresia of antral follicles and cessation of ovulation. The rats fed for 12 hrs daily, though weighed less but exhibited all the above mentioned reproductive functions similar to those of controls. The results have revealed that the restriction in feeding time induces nutritional deficiency, causing delay in sexual maturation and inhibition of ovarian functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, ICMR Advance Center Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Parshad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology; D008027:Light; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology; D010507:Periodicity; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology