Selection for serum cholesterol, voluntary physical activity, 56-day weight and feed intake in randombred mice. II....

Randomly bred ICR mice were selected for five generations for high and low serum cholesterol (SC), voluntary physical activity, 56-day body weight and feed intake. An unselected, randomly bred control line was maintained with each pair of selection lines. Significant increases in mature body weight occurred in males of high weight and high intake lines and in females of high SC, high weight and high intake lines. Significant decreases in mature body weights occurred in males of low weight line and in females of low SC and low weight lines. Both high and low selected SC lines had greater (P less than 0.05) activity scores and consumed more feed than the SC control. Mice selected for high activity consumed more (P less than 0.05) feed than mice selected for low activity. Mice selected for high 56-day body weight consumed more (P less than 0.05) feed and had higher SC than mice selected for low 56-day body weight. Mice selected for high feed intake were heavier (P less than 0.05) and more active (P less than 0.05) than low feed intake mice but had significantly lower SC levels.