Meguid M M, Kawashima Y, Campos A C, Gelling P D, Hill T W, Chen T Y, Yang Z J, Hitch D C, Hammond W G, Mueller W J
Department of Surgery, University Hospital SUNY Health Science Center 13210.
Physiol Behav. 1990 Nov;48(5):759-63. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(90)90222-p.
A real-time Automated Computerized Rat Eater Meter was developed by modifying commercially available metabolic cages. Food access via a feeding tunnel was monitored by photocells. Food consumption was measured by an electronic scale. The signals thus generated were processed by a computer. This allowed us to continuously measure the spontaneous feeding behavior of free-feeding nondeprived Fischer rats for a sum total of 35 study days. Based on our data, we defined a meal as an episode of food consumption preceded and followed by at least 5 minutes of no feeding. Fischer rats showed periodic nychthemeral eating behavior. Food consumption, number of meals, meal sniffs, intermeal sniffs, and, consequently, eating activity were greater during the dark cycle than the light cycle. Meal duration, meal size, and thus food consumption rates remained constant throughout both cycles. Our modification of commercially available metabolic cages provides unique data for continuously monitoring rat feeding patterns over prolonged periods of time.
通过对市售代谢笼进行改造，开发出了一种实时自动计算机化大鼠进食量测量仪。通过光电管监测经由喂食通道的食物获取情况。通过电子秤测量食物消耗量。由此产生的信号由计算机进行处理。这使我们能够连续35个研究日测量自由进食、未受剥夺的Fischer大鼠的自发进食行为。根据我们的数据，我们将一餐定义为一次食物消耗事件，其前后至少有5分钟不进食。Fischer大鼠表现出周期性的昼夜进食行为。在黑暗周期中的食物消耗量、进餐次数、进餐时的嗅闻次数、餐间嗅闻次数以及因此的进食活动均高于光照周期。在两个周期中，进餐持续时间、餐量以及因此的食物消耗率均保持恒定。我们对市售代谢笼的改造为长时间连续监测大鼠进食模式提供了独特的数据。
