Unusual peals of oxygen consumption under special alimentary conditions

ABSTRACT

Oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), the resulting respiratory quotient (RQ), and motor activity were recorded simultaneously by an on-line computer every seconds during 16-20 hours in two decerebrate male rats. Being aphagic and adipsic the rats were fed twice daily by gastric intubation with a mixture of powdered milk plus sugar or plus surflower oil (approx. 300 KJ daily) in 10-20 ml tap water. In all seven tests performed on these rats the recordings presented very steep reductions of RQ due every time to steep increases in VO2 without increases in VCO2 mean number of VO2 peals in all experiments was 12.4+- 1.8 (SE) with mean duration of 21.3+-2.8min. Two normal male rats were fed the same diet and on the same schedule