title: Energy balance and growth rate of outbred and inbred male guinea pigs.
abstract: Water intake, food consumption, growth rate, and rectal temperature were measured daily for 14 days and oxygen uptake was determined weekly for 3 weeks in healthy outbred (Hartley stock) and inbred (strains 2 and 13) male guinea pigs. Body weights ranged from 300 to 465 g, and ages were approximately 6 to 10 weeks. Strain-13 guinea pigs had the lowest daily body weight gain (3.27 +/- 0.33 g), when compared with strain-2 (4.04 +/- 1.21 g) and Hartley guinea pigs (5.72 +/- 1.08 g). Outbred guinea pigs also had highest values of water intake and water/food intake ratio(s), and had significantly (P less than 0.05 and 0.01) lower oxygen uptake values than did inbred guinea pigs. The ratio of daily average body weight gain to the corresponding daily retained calories, with or without corrections of body surface area (0.05 m2), was higher in Hartley stock than in the strain-13 guinea pigs. Rectal temperatures and food consumption were similar in all guinea pigs. Data indicated that the outbred Hartley guinea pig had a faster growth rate and appeared stronger physiologically, compared with inbred strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Physiology, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21701-5011.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D001835:Body Weight; D004326:Drinking; D004435:Eating; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption