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Protein Synthesis Rate in Liver and Muscle of Rats Following Four Days of Overfeeding

Department of Nutrition, Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel, and the Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Unit, Department of Nutrition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1, UK

Protein synthesis rate in liver and in muscle were determined in control and in 4-day overfed rats. Both the control and the overfed rats received their entire food (liquid diet) by a continuous intragastric infusion through permanently implanted cannulas. Each of the control rats received a daily quantity of the liquid diet which matched its own mean voluntary (ad libitum) intake as determined prior to the experiment. Each of the overfed rats received a daily excess of 35% over its mean daily voluntary intake. Protein synthesis rate was determined using a continuous intravenous infusion of ¹⁴C tyrosine. Overfeeding resulted in a 24% reduction (P < 0.02) in the fractional rate of protein synthesis in the liver, and in a 16% reduction in the muscle. Overfeeding also resulted in a reduction in the ratio of RNA/protein amounting to 11% in the liver (P < 0.05) and 21% in the muscle (P < 0.02). These significant reductions in RNA/protein indicate a relative loss of ribosomes and suggest a reduced capacity for protein synthesis. Our data thus demonstrate that overnutrition can be associated with a reduced rate of protein synthesis.

KEY WORDS: • protein synthesis rate • protein turnover • overfeeding • energy balance

¹ To whom reprint requests should be sent.

² Current address is Department of Biochemistry, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, SW17, UK.

Manuscript received 7 July 1981.

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