Effect of a ground versus a pelleted bulk diet on the rat parotid gland

Rats were fed a stock pelleted diet (control diet) or the same stock diet to which 30 per cent non-nutritive cellulose had been added (bulk diet). The control diet and the bulk diet were fed to rats in two consistencies, pelleted or ground. Compared to the parotid glands of rats fed the pelleted control diet, those of rats fed either of the ground diets were not different, but parotid gland wet weight, DNA and RNA content and total gland amylase and protein were significantly greater in rats fed the pelleted bulk diet for 2 wk. The cell indices of RNA/DNA and amylase/DNA were significantly greater in rats fed the pelleted bulk diet, but were not significantly changed in rats fed the ground bulk diet. Thus there is a significant increase in cell number and cell content of amylase when rats are fed a bulk diet that is pelleted and no such increases are found when the bulk diet is ground. The findings support the contention that the physical consistency of the diet and its requirement for mastication are major factors contributing to the regulation of parotid-gland size and secretory-enzyme content.