Effects of the Prevention of Coprophagy in the Rat

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Abstract
Stock rats of weanling age, without prior depletion, when placed on a highly purified diet that is deficient in vitamin B12 do not show any evidence of deficiency during the rapid growth period. On the other hand rats treated in the same manner, but prevented from eating their feces show a growth depression due to the lack of vitamin B12. This growth depression is evident within the first week or two after being transferred to the deficient diet. The interpretation of this observation in terms of mammalian requirements for vitamin B12 during the period of rapid growth has been discussed. The reported hypercholesterolemia in the vitamin B12-deficient rats has not been confirmed under the conditions of deficiency induction that have been utilized in the present study.