Effect of long-term intake of liquid nutrition on the development and maintenance of the weight and size of the skull, mandible, and teeth in rats

The consistency of the diet may affect the development and maintenance of the muscular and bony parts of the masticatory apparatus. Therefore, we investigated the effect of chronic intake of liquid nutrition (Fresubin) on the growth and maintenance of the weight and size of the skull, mandible, and teeth in Wistar rats fed with liquid nutrition during different developmental periods: (i) from weaning to adulthood, (ii) only in the juvenile period, or (iii) only in adulthood. We found that in all groups of rats fed with liquid nutrition, the skull and the mandible were significantly lighter in weight than those of control rats fed exclusively with pelleted chow from weaning to adulthood. In addition, in rats fed with liquid nutrition, the length of the mandible was significantly increased, whereas the height of the mandible and the length of the upper incisors were reduced. Our data indicate that food consistency may profoundly affect the growth pattern and the maintenance of the mass and size of skull bones and teeth during different periods of life. The extent of the effect was found to depend on the period during which liquid nutrition is provided and on the duration of its intake. In conclusion, the findings indicate that prolonged intake of liquid nutrition can significantly affect the development of the bone part of the masticatory apparatus.