Evaluation of caecectomy as a means of coprophagy prevention in rats
2003
Kurosawa, A. (Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture (Japan)) | Ikeda, S. | Sukemori, S. | Kurihara, Y.
Abstract Coprophagy interferes with obtaining precise results in nutritional examination. This study aims to examine whether caecectomy can or cannot prevent coprophagy when determining fecal chemical composition. Twenty-four healthy male Sprague-Dawley strain rats ( 6 weeks old) were purchased from Japan Clea, Co. Ltd. They were divided into a non-treated group of 12 rats and a caecectomized group of 10 rats of equal mean body weight. They were then divided into a coprophagy-allowed group and coprophagy-prevented group for a total of 4 groups . Caecectomy failed to prevent coprophagy, because coprophagy behavior was recognized in the caecectomized coprophagy-allowed group about 3 times/day. Caecectomized rats excreted intermediate-type (between usual feces and hydrous feces) feces. The analytical values for crude protein, vitamin B sub(12) and folic acid in intermediate-type feces were lower than those in usual feces as well as hydrous feces. In the results for crude protein digestibility, no significant difference was recognized in the correlated effect of caecectomy and coprophagy-prevention. Caecectomy as a main effect on the digestibility of crude protein was not recognized, but coprophagy-prevention induced a significant difference . Capacities of colon were swollen by the effect of caecectomy. The present results suggest a necessity for further observation into the relation between caecum and hydrous feces.
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