Effect of nutritional stress on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis in the growing male rat.

Background/objective: Nutritional dwarfing (ND) consists of a decrease in weight and height gain and delayed onset of puberty. The aim of the present investigation was to study the modifications induced in male rats by the nutritional stress of a mere 20% reduction in food intake which, however, started immediately after weaning.

Materials And Methods: At weaning, male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: Control (C) and ND.