Effect of protein malnutrition on the glycolytic and glutaminolytic enzyme activity of rat thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes

Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research

M.a. Dos-santos¹  R. Rosa¹  R. Curi¹  D.h.g.p Barbieri¹ 

关键词: protein malnutrition;    glucose metabolism;    glutamine metabolism;    thymus;    lymph nodes;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0100-879X1997000600003

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

The activity of important glycolytic enzymes (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase, phosphohexoseisomerase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) and glutaminolytic enzymes (phosphate-dependent glutaminase) was determined in the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes of Wistar rats submitted to protein malnutrition (6% protein in the diet rather than 20%) from conception to 12 weeks after birth. The wet weight (g) of the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes decreased due to protein malnutrition by 87% (from 0.30 ± 0.05 to 0.04 ± 0.01) and 75% (0.40 ± 0.04 to 0.10 ± 0.02), respectively. The protein content was reduced only in the thymus from 102.3 ± 4.4 (control rats) to 72.6 ± 6.6 (malnourished rats). The glycolytic enzymes were not affected by protein malnutrition, but the glutaminase activity of the thymus and lymph nodes was reduced by half in protein-malnourished rats as compared to controls. This fact may lead to a decrease in the cellularity of the organ and thus in its size, weight and protein content.

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