Growth and reproduction of albino rats as affected by various excessive levels of dietary vitamin E

Author

James A. Corrick

Date of Award

6-1968

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Animal Science

Major Professor

C. S. Hobbs

Committee Members

C. C. Chamberlain, R. R. Shrode, M. R. Johnston, J. K. Bletner, K. M. Barth

Abstract

The objectives of this experiment were: One, to test the effect of certain space and feed availabilities on gain in weight and two, to test the effect of supplementing a ration with daily, high excesses of vitamin E. Experimental animals were the albino rat. The basal diet was a commercial white rat feed in unpelleted (meal) form, Alpha-tocopherol was used as the vitamin E supplement. Statistical analyses were all at the 5 percent level (P<0.05) of probability. Weanling white rats with space availabilities of 107, 134 and 214 sq. cm. per animal and on the same ration in ten weeks showed an average gain in weight of 241, 215 and 194 grams. These means were statistically different. When space availability was a constant 134 sq. cm. per animal but with one group of weanling males having one feeder per cage and a second group, two feeders per cage, there were no significant differences in body gain after ten weeks (215 grams versus 214 grams). Two groups of weanling female rats were fed the basal ration and the basal plus 750 l.U. of vitamin E per animal per day respectively for ten weeks. Average gains for the control females was 161 grams and for those on the high-E diet was 110 grams. These means were statistically different. When bred to non treatment males, females on the control diet averaged 8.7 offspring weaned while those receiving the E supplement averaged only 3.2. The difference was statistically significant. The average six weeks body weight of the F₁ generation was not statistically different between the two groups. A second testing had an equal number of weanling males and females in each of four treatments which were: Basal, basal plus 75 I.U. of vitamin E per animal per day, basal plus 400 I.U., and basal plus 750 I.U. After ten weeks on treatment, average body gains were 161^a, 157^a, 99.5^b and 90^b grams respectively (means with the same superscript are not statistically different). When mated with non-treatment animals, average number of offspring weaned were 11.0^a, 11.6^a, 6.7^b, and 5.8^b respectively. However, when these differences were analyzed according to the sex of the treatment parent the depressing effect of the high-E diet of treatments three and four was less apparent in the treatment sires. There were no significant differences in the average six-week body weight of animals in the F₁ generation. When F₁ generation rats were mated to non-treatment animals there were no significant differences in average number of offspring weaned in the F₂ generation. Briefly, the results of this investigation can be said to warrant the following conclusions: 1. That with space availabilities of 107, 134 and 214 sq. cm. per animal, rats will grow better with the smallest space availability. With ample food available, increasing the food supply, through addition of extra feeders, will not stimulate the animals to consume more food; 2. That some amount between 75 I.U. and 400 I.U. of vitamin E per head per day in the diet of the albino rat will have a depressing effect on growth and reproductive performance. The growth effect applies equally to males and females and is not carried into subsequent generations. The reproductive effect is less in the males than in the females but in neither is it passed on to the F₁ offspring.

Recommended Citation

Corrick, James A., "Growth and reproduction of albino rats as affected by various excessive levels of dietary vitamin E. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1968.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/8041