![Sample our Behavioral Sciences journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110801/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Behavioral-Sciences.jpg"})
Abstract
In this work, two groups of Wistar rats were fed ad libitum, one with standard chow (22% protein) and the other with hypoproteic chow (8% protein), from the 210th to the 345th day of life. Compared to the animals fed with standard chow, the animals fed with hypoproteic chow exhibited hypophagia (ingestion about 30% lower), mean weight gain 4.46% lower, greater amount of retroperitoneal and peri-epididymal fat (19% on average), lower Lee index, decrease of total plasma proteins and plasma globulins and maintenance of plasma albumin. The quantitative and morphometric analysis of the NADH-diaphorase positive myenteric neurons yielded a larger number of small neurons and a smaller number of medium neurons in the animals subjected to the hypoproteic chow, demonstrating that the neuronal growth was affected by the diet. In the animals fed with hypoproteic chow, a 20% decrease in the NADH-diaphorase positive neurons of the forestomach and a 10% decrease in those of the glandular stomach were observed.