Recovery Following Suppression of Growth in the Rat

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Abstract
The development of young rats following the suppression of growth due to restriction of mineral salts or energy intake was studied. The criteria used were increase in weight and length of the body and the weight of the kidneys, testes, spleen, femurs and incisors. The animals given the restricted diets for the shortest period, 3 weeks, over-compensated by exceeding their controls at the end of 9 weeks of refeeding. Rats stunted by either method for longer periods failed within the period of observation to regain losses suffered during suppressed growth, although those restricted in energy intake alone made much greater gains in the time allotted and gave indications that complete recovery could ultimately occur. The weight of organs studied resumed a relationship to body weight like that of controls. Whether the stunted animals overtook and exceeded their controls in weight or failed to do so depended on the length of time their growth was suppressed which in turn influenced the growth capacity of the skeleton, both axial and appendicular.