Aim: 

The character of nutrition was shown to substantially affect the overall healthy status of an organism. The purpose of the study was to test the influence of the liquid nutrition and intermittent fasting on the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods: 

Two control groups of rats – adult (AC) and juvenile (JC) were fed by normal pellet diet. Two groups of rats – adult (AL) and juvenile (JL) were fed by normocaloric liquid diet. One group of adult rats (AF) was fed every other day by normal pellet diet (intermittent fasting). All animals had free access to water. After 10 weeks, weights of the body, stomach, liver, as well as electrogastrogram and systolic blood pressure were evaluated.

Results: 

Body weights of AF group were significantly smaller than in AC and AL groups (p < 0.01). All other groups did not differ significantly in body weights. Stomach weights were significantly smaller in AL group when compared with both AC and AF groups (p < 0.01). Similarly, the stomach weights in JL group were significantly smaller in comparison to JC group (p < 0.01). Relative liver weights did not differ significantly among analyzed groups. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in AF group when compared with both other adult groups. Functional measures of electrical gastric activity showed no substantial changes.

Conclusion: 

These results demonstrate that changes in form of nutrition (without any change in composition and quantity of nutrition) cause significant plastic changes in gastrointestinal tract and in other systems in the juvenile animals as well as in adult ones.