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 HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cho, E. S. Articles by Stegink, L. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cho, E. S. Articles by Stegink, L. D.

Tissue Glutathione as a Cyst(e)ine Reservoir during Fasting and Refeeding of Rats^1,2,

Departments of Home Economics, Pediatrics and Biochemistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242

Previous reports suggest that liver glutathione serves as a cyst(e)ine reservoir in both starved rats and rats fed a cyst(e)ine-deficient diet. We investigated whether glutathione concentrations in other tissues also decrease and whether component amino acids of glutathione increase under such conditions. Tissue glutathione and free amino acid concentrations were measured in six groups of growing rats (120–150 g; four animals/group) during fasting and refeeding regimens. All animals were fed a rat stock diet ad libitum for 5 days. Two groups were then fasted for 24 or 48 hours, respectively. Other groups were fasted for 48 hours and then refed for 10, 24 or 48 hours respectively the stock diet. Significant changes (P 0.05) in liver and intestine glutathione concentrations were noted with 24 and 48-hour fasting, and a 24-hour refeeding was necessary to return concentrations to prefasting values. Muscle glutathione concentrations decreased slightly with fasting, but remained low with refeeding. Erythrocyte glutathione concentrations were independent of dietary treatment. Liver cysteine and glycine concentrations increased after 24 hours' fasting, but glutamate levels were not affected. The data indicate that liver and intestine glutathione serve as cyst(e)ine reservoirs during fasting. Since erythrocyte and muscle glutathione levels did not decrease, levels in these tissues cannot be used to measure cyst(e)ine status in premature infants fed parenterally.

KEY WORDS: • glutathione • cyst(e)ine

¹ Supported in part by grants-in-aid by the Nutrition Foundation (ESC) and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (LDS).

² These data were presented in preliminary form at the 1979 meeting of the American Institute of Nutrition. Fed. Proc. 38, 289, 1979 (abs.).

Manuscript received 6 November 1980.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Phanvijhitsiri, M. W. Musch, M. J. Ropeleski, and E. B. Chang Heat induction of heat shock protein 25 requires cellular glutamine in intestinal epithelial cells Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, August 1, 2006; 291(2): C290 - C299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Ingenbleek The Nutritional Relationship Linking Sulfur to Nitrogen in Living Organisms J. Nutr., June 1, 2006; 136(6): 1641S - 1651S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Hamadeh and L. J. Hoffer Effect of protein restriction on sulfur amino acid catabolism in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, February 1, 2003; 284(2): E382 - E389. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]