Behavioural Effects of Short-term Total Food Restriction in Rats

Abstract Reducing food intake can decrease anxiety indices in rats. Th e aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of short-term (48 hours) total food restriction on the behavioural characteristics, the motor coordination and balance, of rats. Th ree-month-old male Wistar albino rats (n=20) weighing 350-400 g were divided into a control group (food and water intake ad libitum) and an experimental group (total food restriction 48 hours before testing). Behavioural studies were performed using the open field, elevated plus maze, Barnes maze, beam walking, evoked beam walking and linear locomotor tests. Th e total distance moved, the velocity, the movement and the frequency in the centre zone of the open field were significantly higher in the treated group. Th e cumulative duration in the centre zone of the open field did not significantly increase in the treated group. Th e number of entries into the open arms, the total time spent in the open arms and the total distance moved in the elevated plus maze significantly increased with no change in the velocity in the food-restricted animals. Th e 48 hours of total food restriction did not affect the Barnes maze test parameters or the parameters of the linear locomotor test. Th e velocity recorded during the beam walking test was not affected by the food restriction, but the velocity recorded during the evoked beam walking test significantly decreased in the treated group. In summary, short-term total food restriction did not produce significant changes in the physical performance of rats but did result in anxiolytic- like behaviour accompanied by food-seeking behaviour due to enhanced motivation to forage for food. Sažetak Redukcija unosa hrane može dovesti do smanjenja anksioznosti kod pacova. Cilj ovog istraživanja je bio da se ispita uticaj kratkotrajnog (48 h), potpunog prekida unosa hrane na ponašanje, kao i motoričku koordinaciju i ravnotežu kod pacova. Tri meseca stari, muški Wistar albino pacovi (n=20), težine 350-400 g su podeljeni u kontrolnu grupu (unos hrane i vode ad libitum) i eksperimentalnu grupu - potpuni prekid unosa hrane 48 h pre testiranja. Bihejvioralna istraživanja su sprovedena uz korišćenje testova: „otvorenog polja”, „uzdignutog krstastog lavirinta”, Barnsovog lavirinta, „hodanja po gredi”, „izazvanog hodanja po gredi “ i linearnog lokomotornog testa. Ukupno pređeno rastojanje, brzina, kretanje i frekvencija ulazaka u centralnu zonu „otvorenog polja” su bili značajno veći u tretiranoj grupi. Ukupno vreme provedeno u centralnoj zoni „otvorenog polja” se nije značajno povećalo u tretiranoj grupi. Broj ulazaka u otvorene krake, ukupno vreme provedeno u otvorenim kracima i ukupno pređeno rastojanje u „uzdignutom krstastom lavirintu” su bili značajno povećani, dok se brzina nije menjala kod životinja bez unosa hrane. 48 h potpunog prekida unosa hrane nije imalo uticaja na parametre testa Barnsovog lavirinta, kao ni na parametre linearnog lokomotornog testa. Brzina registrovana kod testa „hodanja po gredi” se nije menjala usled restrikcije unosa hrane, ali se brzina registrovana kod testa „ izazvanog hodanja po gredi” značajno smanjila u grupi tretiranih životinja. Sumarno, kratkotrajni potpuni prekid unosa hrane nije izazvao značajne promene fi zičke sposobnosti pacova, ali je na ponašanje ispoljio efekte koji podsećaju na anksiolitičko dejstvo, uz obrasce koji podsećaju na traženje hrane usled povećane motivacije da se obezbedi hrana