Effect of different postnatal periods of protein-energy malnutrition in young rats upon subsequent protein utilization.

Previously it had been shown that rat pups, malnourished during the 3-week suckling period and the nutritionally rehabilitated for about 30 weeks, showed an increase in the efficiency of dietary protein utilization of the protein was fed at a less than optimal level and if the protein was of poor nutritional quality (J. Nutr. 103, 273, 1973). The present study extends this observation to growing rats malnourished during the first 3 weeks of life and then rehabilitated with a 25% casein diet for 4 weeks. The test proteins were casein, fed at a level of 12%, and wheat gluten, at a level of 25%. Efficiency of nitrogen retention was greater for both proteins in rats previously malnourished than for control, non-malnourished rats. Malnutrition was then imposed on rats malnourished by feeding a low protein diet either during the first 4 weeks postweaning or from the 7th to 11th week of life. After these periods of malnourishment, the rats were rehabilitated for 4 weeks and efficiency of utilization measured for both casein and wheat gluten fed at 10% of the diet. No change in utilization was found for either protein fed to rats rehabilitated from either of these periods of malnutrition.