1. Lab rats on a liquid sucrose diet were noted to consume much less rat chow th
ID: 217180 • Letter: 1
Question
1. Lab rats on a liquid sucrose diet were noted to consume much less rat chow than similarly lab controlled rats. The sucrose-fed rats were also noted to consume approximately seven more volumes of 10% sucrose solution in a 24hr period than a control rat consumed water. The rats consumed 80% of the total intake between 8 pm and 9 am.
a/ Why did the sucrose-fed rats consume less rat chow than the controlled rats?
b/ Observations showed that rats are nocturnal feeders. Humans, however, are diurnal feeders. What does nocturnal feeding among rodents have on the study of lipoprotein metabolism when samples are collected during the normal feeding period of humans?
c/ What effect might the reduced consumption of rat chow have on the study of VLDL metabolism in both study groups?
Explanation / Answer
Please find the answers below:
Answer 1: Sucrose enhances the blood glucose levels and keeps the body energized for longer time. This causes high satiety and reduced hunger in the rats and hence the sucrose-fed rats consumed less chow as compared to control rats.
Answer 2: Accordingly, the rats are undoubtedly nocturnal animals whereas humans are diurnal in nature. This particular behaviour of the rats ensures that the amount of body heat and energy they require during the colder environment of the night time is received directly from the food they intake. This reduces the total fat deposition in their body and hence most of the glucose is utilized to give energy to the body. This also suggests that humans, on the other hand, tend to store the nutrients absorbed from their food material during night time since their physical activity are very low and hence their lipoprotien metabolism is slower as compared to rats.
Answer 3: Since the rats convert most of the food nutrients into a direct source of energy, their VLDL metabolism rates are generally very high and their blood VLDL content is comparatively low as compared to diurnal animals.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.