Influence of Feeding DEAE Sephadex on Growth, Lactation and Lipid Utilization in the Rat

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The effects on the rat of incorporating in the ration DEAE Sephadex, a bile acid sequestrant which is not absorbed from or degraded in the intestinal tract, were studied. Diets containing 0.9% or 15% fat, as well as a hypercholesterolemic diet, were employed. The fecal fat (ether extract) was doubled on the 0.9% fat diet and the hypercholesterolemic diet and increased by 4 to 5 times on the 15% fat diet. The serum cholesterol levels were not affected on the normal diets but DEAE Sephadex prevented the elevated levels observed on the hypercholesterolemic control diet. In none of the diets did DEAE Sephadex affect 4-week weight gains of weanling young significantly but weight gain per calorie consumed was lowered in males fed the 15% fat ration, presumably due to a loss of dietary calories in the feces. The body weights of young of mothers fed DEAE Sephadex in the 0.9% fat ration were depressed about 7 to 8% by 15 days of age. The young from control mothers contained about 25% more fat and about 10% more nonfat solids in their bodies.