QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Carrozza, G. Articles by Muraca, U. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Carrozza, G. Articles by Muraca, U.

Differential Effect of Gluten and Casein Diets on Rat Liver HMP Shunt Dehydrogenases

Instituto di Fisiologia Umana dell'Università di Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy

The effect of diets containing as their protein component wheat gluten or casein, fed ad libitum to adult male rats for 1 to 6 days, after 6 days of protein deprivation, on the liver levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G₆PD) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) were studied. In rats fed the gluten diet the values of body weight gain, liver size, liver protein, liver xanthine oxidase, G₆PD and 6PGD activities were lower in comparison with rats fed the casein diet. Amino acid supplements to the gluten diet improved the nutritive value of this diet, as shown by the enhancement of body weight gain, liver size, liver protein and xanthine oxidase activity to levels found in rats fed the casein diet, but failed to increase G₆PD and 6PGD activities. Essential fatty acids added to the casein diet, in order to bring their level up to that of the gluten diet, proved incapable of decreasing the levels of G₆PD and 6PGD activities found in rats fed the casein diet. It was concluded that the differential effect of gluten and casein on liver G₆PD and 6PGD is independent of differences in the nutritive value and in the essential fatty acid content of these proteins, and is dependent upon one or more factors different from those known to affect the liver HMP shunt dehydrogenases.

KEY WORDS: • gluten • casein • liver • HMP shunt dehydrogenases

Manuscript received 5 November 1973.