"SELF-STARVATION" OF RATS LIVING IN ACTIVITY WHEELS: ADAPTATION EFFECTS

THE PARADOXICAL DEPRESSION OF FEEDING AND LOSS OF WEIGHT ("SELF-STARVATION") BY RATS IN ACTIVITY WHEELS IS ATTRIBUTED TO NOVELTY AND DEPRIVATION STRESS, REFLECTING FOOD INTAKE DEPRESSION ON INITIAL DAYS AND A SIMILAR DEPRESSION DURING HIGH LEVELS OF RUNNING, RESPECTIVELY. FOR 10 MALE ALBINO RATS DEPRIVATION STRESS APPEARED CRITICAL TO THE SELF-STARVATION EFFECT; NOVELTY STRESS, WHILE NOT CRITICAL, COULD ENHANCE IT. CHLORPROMAZINE AND ADAPTATION TO THE RESTRICTED FEEDING SCHEDULE REDUCED EFFECTS OF DEPRIVATION STRESS, BUT NOT OF NOVELTY STRESS. ADAPTATION TO THE ACTIVITY WHEELS REDUCED EFFECTS OF NOVELTY STRESS, BUT NOT OF DEPRIVATION STRESS. DESPITE OBVIOUS REDUCTION OF EFFECTS OF NOVELTY STRESS, FOOD INTAKE AFTER DAY 1 OF DEPRIVATION WAS STILL SIGNIFICANTLY DEPRESSED. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).