COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF SUCROSE AND CORNSTARCH IN LOW-PROTEIN DIETS FED TO RATS EXPOSED TO COLD
Young male rats were fed one of three low-protein (5% casein) diets differing in the source of carbohydrate (sucrose, equal parts sucrose and cornstarch, or cornstarch) or a 20% casein (sucrose) diet at environmental temperatures of 24 °C or 5 °C. Replacement of sucrose with starch appeared to have a small but significant effect in increasing body weight gain for 15 days (but not the next 28 days) at 24 °C and also in animals exposed to cold for 28 days after a 15-day feeding period at 24 °C. In disagreement with results reported by Andik et al., cold exposure, although significantly increasing body weight gain and food intake in rats fed the 5% casein – starch diet, did not elicit a weight gain as great as that observed in 20% casein-fed animals at either 24 °C or 5 °C. The 24-hour food intake following a 24-hour fast exceeded the intake on the day before fasting on all diets for animals maintained at 5 °C but not 24 °C. The immediate ([Formula: see text] hour) and 24-hour food intakes of rats at 5 °C exceeded those of comparable dietary groups at 24 °C. At 5 °C, the 24-hour food intake, following the fast, of rats fed the 5% casein – starch diet exceeded that of the 20% casein-fed controls.