Experimental phenylketonuria in rats : an investigation of the critical interval hypothesis

The purpose of this experiment was to simulate PKU in rats and to determine if there were a critical period during which an increase of PA in the system has its most detrimental effect. Fifty-one Sprague-Dawley rats were paired at birth with a litter mate of the same sex and randomly assigned to one of three feeding conditions for administering the PA and control diets: beginning at birth (E-l, C-l), beginning at 18 days of age (E-2, C-2) and beginning at 36 days of age (E-3, C-3). Until weaning, E-l and C-l were fed by intubation. After weaning experimental animals were fed a 7% PA diet