Normally, cellsdisposeoforrecycle their wastematerial, includingunwanted or mis-foldedproteins, through a process known as autophagy, or "self-eating".
The scientists think once the rats were in a state of shock, the walls of the intestines become leaky, allowing the "self-eating" enzymes to flow into them more freely.
Most people think of eating disorders as either anorexia or bulimia (self-induced purging), but there is a less recognized clinical syndrome, disordered eating not otherwise specified, which may affect a significant portion of the population and seems to be especially prevalent in female college athletes.