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Relation between Adrenal Cortex and Hepatic Protein Synthesis in Protein-Calorie-Deficient Rats¹

Center for Research in Oral Biology and Department of Oral Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195

Young, growing rats (90 to 120 g) were fed ad libitum a 0.5% lactalbumin diet for 12 weeks when they developed many of the features associated with the human syndrome of protein-calorie malnutrition. Electron microscopic evaluation of the adrenal cortical zona fasciculata in the protein-deficient rats revealed certain alterations which were consistent with hypofunction of the gland. Most prominent of the ultrastructural changes was the profound increase in number of lipid droplets. The liver, which is a major target organ of the glucocorticoids, was also studied. In the malnourished rats, about 50% of liver ribosomes was recovered as monomers and dimers. Associated with this feature was a relatively low uptake of ¹⁴C-leucine in vitro by the C-ribosomes. Administration of hydrocortisone to the malnourished rats 3.5 hours before sacrifice produced marked reaggregation of the ribosomes into larger polysomes (n > 2) with concomitant increase (+44 to +96%) in uptake of radioactive leucine in the cell-free system. Treatment of normal well-fed rats with hydrocortisone for a similar duration before sacrifice produced no significant alteration in in vitro uptake of ¹⁴C-leucine into ribosomes compared with untreated controls. No dramatic differences were observed in liver aminograms of malnourished rats treated with hydrocortisone or saline, and there was good evidence from studies in cell-free systems that the glucocorticoid-mediated increase in hepatic protein synthesis was associated with alteration in the ribosomes rather than the cell sap factors. This study suggests that endocrine balance may be an important regulatory factor in the changes in protein metabolism observed when animals are fed diets of low quality.

KEY WORDS: • adrenal gland • protein-calorie malnutrition • glucocorticoids

¹ Supported in part by United States Public Health Service Research Grant DE-02600-04 from the National Institutes of Health.

Manuscript received 14 July 1972.