Food Restriction and Lipogenesis in the Rat.

Summary 1. Using young male rats fed chow for only 2 hours daily, the increased lipogenesis in vitro and liver glycogen concentration reported by others has been confirmed. The phenomena have been demonstrated also in young male rats fed a purified, high carbohydrate diet for only 2 hours daily. 2. In contrast to the findings of Hollifield and Parson, young rats whose feeding time was restricted to 2 hours daily had a lower food intake and body weight gain than did ad libitum-fed controls whether provided with chow or the high carbohydrate diet. These “restricted” animals had slightly lower proportion of carcass fat and higher proportion of water and ash. 3. Adult male rats when provided with the high carbohydrate diet for only 2 hours daily, ate less than ad libitum-fed controls and failed to gain weight.