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Effect of Dietary Protein Composition on Placental Protein, Nucleic Acid, Free Amino N and Enzymes in Rats

Pediatric Hematology Unit, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India

Pregnant rats were fed six different diets from the first to the 15th, 17th or 19th day of pregnancy. Diets 1 to 5 contained the same amount of nitrogen (10% casein and unsupplemented or supplemented wheat or Bengalgram diets). Diet 6 contained 20% casein. Total placental protein, RNA, free amino N contents and the activities of the enzymes arginase (EC 3.5.3.1), tyrosine amino transferase (TAT, EC 2.6.1.5) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, EC 1.1.1.27) were estimated. The fetal weight and placental weight, total placental protein, RNA and free amino N and the activities of the enzymes increased with the gestational age, but the DNA content became constant after day 17 of gestation. The placental weight, protein, free amino N and RNA contents were significantly reduced on wheat and Bengalgram diets as compared to 10% casein (control) diet. The low activities of arginase, TAT and LDH on these diets indicated impaired protein synthesis, as a result of reduction in the amino acid pool size. The fortification of wheat with lysine and Bengalgram with cystine, methionine and tryptophan showed significant improvement in the fetal weight and placental parameters. The values on the 20% casein diet were significantly higher than those observed on the 10% casein diet.

KEY WORDS: • placenta • protein • nucleic acids • free amino N • enzymes

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Manuscript received 16 April 1979.