Food hoarding is increased by pregnancy, lactation and food
deprivation in siberian hamsters.
Bartness, Timothy J.
Departments of Psychology and of Biology, Neuropsychology and
Behavioral Neurosciences, and Neurobiology Programs, Georgia State
University, Atlanta, GA 30303
APStracts 3:0286R, 1996.
Food hoarding by male Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus sungorus)
is increased only when body mass (fat) is decreased. Pregnancy and
lactation result in marked decreases in lipid reserves (50%) in
female Siberian hamsters. Therefore, the present experiments
addressed the following questions: 1) Is food hoarding increased
following food deprivation in female Siberian hamsters? and 2)How do
food hoarding and food intake change during pregnancy, lactation and
their combination? During measurements in a simulated burrow system,
food hoarding increased after a 32h fast (2 to 3-fold) to a level
similar to that seen previously in males and was markedly increased
during pregnancy (12 to 18-fold), lactation, and concurrent pregnancy
and lactation (10 to 25-fold for each of the latter two conditions).
Postfast food intake was not different from prefast baseline
measures. Food intake only was increased during the last few days of
pregnancy and was elevated throughout lactation. These impressive
increases in the level of food hoarding during pregnancy, lactation
and their combination suggest that food hoarding may play an
important role in supplying easily accessible energy to subserve
these reproductive conditions.
Received 29 January 1996; accepted in final form 9 July 1996.
APS Manuscript Number R57-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 4 August 1996