title: Caloric restriction in grouped rats: aggregate influence on behavioural and hormonal data.
abstract: The majority of studies in short- and middle-term caloric restriction (CR) have been primarily focused on physiological parameters, improvements in aging, modulation of oxidative stress, and long-term negative effects on cognitive functions. However, single-housing associated with CR may pose many logistical problems. Thus, it is necessary to study the effects of CR under conditions in which animals are group-housed. The aims of this study were to (i) observe the possible differences in the proportion of the weights and social behaviour under ad libitum and CR (at 70%) conditions; (ii) examine the eventual inequalities in the proportion of the weights and social behaviour (the time spent eating under the feeder as an indicator of dominance and empathy, and the number of 'pushes' as an indicator of aggressiveness) in sibling and non-sibling rats under CR conditions; and (iii) compare the concentrations of corticosterone (stress biomarker) in serum under ad libitum and CR conditions. The results indicated the effectiveness of CR in different groups independent of the relationship between the rats. No extreme changes in weight were observed in the CR rats. Behavioural observations also indicated the differences in the total time spent under the feeder and in the number of pushes (higher in both cases for the sibling rats). However, no significant differences in corticosterone levels were observed. Our results suggest the viability of group-housing rats during long periods of CR maintenance.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Pablo Olavide, Sevilla, Spain. Master of Applied Etholgy 2015.
authors.forename: Mikel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moneo
authors.affiliation: 2 Animal Facility-CIC, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martín Zúñiga
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Psychobiology and Centre of Investigation of Mind, Brain and Behaviour (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morón
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D004435:Eating; D011156:Population Density; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: advanced social behaviour; aggregate rats; caloric restriction; corticosterone; eating behaviour; grouped rats; relationship behaviour