FIGURE 2.

Suckling under large litter size and pilocarpine administration decreased blood glucose levels of 58 day-old male rats. Animals were previously suckled in litters with 9 and 15 pups (respectively, L₉ and L₁₅ condition). Naïve (Nv), no treatment; Vehicle (V), scopolamine methyl nitrate 1 mg/kg/day dissolved in 0.9% saline + 0.9% saline; Pilocarpine (P), scopolamine methyl nitrate 1 mg/kg/day + pilocarpine 45 mg/kg/day; both dissolved in 0.9% saline. Pilocarpine or vehicle intraperitoneal administration occurred from postnatal day 35–55. Data are mean ± standard deviation. ^∗p < 0.001 compared with the corresponding L₉ condition. #p < 0.001 compared with control groups in the same lactation condition (ANOVA plus Holm-Sidak test).