title: Comparison of growth and exploratory behavior in mice fed an exclusively milk formula diet and mice fed a food-pellet diet post weaning.
abstract: An exclusively milk formula diet stunted the growth of mice immediately following weaning. Milk-fed mice displayed a low-frequency profile of exploratory behavior, while pellet-fed mice showed high-frequency exploration. In contrast to exploratory behavior, feeding behavior did not differ significantly between milk- and pellet-fed mice. Despite showing low-frequency exploratory behavior, mice on an exclusively milk formula diet showed no difference in behavioral activities analyzed by an automatic hole-board apparatus compared to pellet-fed mice. These results suggest that the growth stunt caused by an exclusively milk formula diet retards the acquisition of active exploratory behavior without affecting the emotional state of mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiological Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan. ishii@obihiro.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itou
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008892:Milk; D014886:Weaning