aged 7 weeks (initially weighing 280–300 g), were kept in individual adapted cages. During an adaptation period of 1 week, these animals received a balanced feed ration corresponding to their growth requirements, that is 25 g of A03 feed (Usine dÕAlimentation Rationnelle, UAR, Epinay sur Orge, France). The rats also had access to water ad libitum during the whole experiment.