[Nutritional status of the rat in refeeding following massive mobilization of DDT by fasting]

Rats were subjected to fasting-induced mobilization of a quantity of DDT equivalent to 45% of the LD50. They were then fed for 1 week for a nutritional and toxicological study. Mobilization of DDT by starvation had no apparent effect on the activity of the various enzymes or the weight of the organs measured at the end of the refeeding period. The animals which had received DDT pretreatment showed higher protein efficiency than the control animals. Only the level of body lipids was lower in the animals pretreated with DDT, although the quantities of lipids stored during the study period were identical in both groups of animals. Overall, the results show that the nutritional state of the two groups of animals was very similar at the end of the refeeding period.