FOOD CONSUMPTION AND RECTAL TEMPERATURE IN RATS DURING THIAMINE DEFICIENCY AND REPLETION

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Abstract
Rectal temperature in male rats fell slowly and gradually from ad libitum and pair-led control levels throughout a thiamine depletion period. During this period, food consumption dropped suddenly and sharply to a minimal level. A single oral dose of 50 μg of thiamine hydrochloride produced, within 4 hours, a significant rise (to less than control levels) in rectal temperature and an increase in food consumption within 24 hours. The increase in temperature was independent of the ingestion of food since diet was withheld during the 4 hours following thiamine administration. Subsequent feeding of control diet (containing thiamine) had not further increased the "4-hour" temperature after 24 hours. With continued feeding of control diet, rectal temperature rose to control levels after 3 days. On subsequent withdrawal of dietary thiamine from the deficient group, temperature and food consumption fell as before. When the animals were again repleted with 50 μg thiamine and deficient diet was continued, temperatures rose to the same level reached after the first thiamine administration. A third deprivation and repletion produced identical results.Food restriction alone, in pair-fed control groups, induced an initial elevation of rectal temperature above ad libitum control levels as temperatures in the deficient group were falling, and an eventual decrease below ad libitum control levels only after prolonged food restriction. It is suggested that the initial fall in body temperature in thiamine-deficient rats is not simply a terminal result of food restriction per se, but may reflect alterations in metabolism due to the deficiency.