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The Effect of Dietary Tyrosine Levels on Food Intake in Zinc-Deficient Rats¹

Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211

The study was designed to determine the effect of dietary tyrosine levels on food intake in the zinc-deficient rat. This was accomplished by using free L-amino acids as the source of nitrogen and manipulating the tyrosine concentrations in the diet. Results showed that low dietary tyrosine significantly increased food intake in the zinc-deficient rat and significantly decreased the concentration of tyrosine in serum and anterior hypothalamus (AH). Reduced tyrosine levels in the AH led to decreases in the concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) in the AH. The results allow us to suggest that the mechanism that suppresses food intake in the zinc-deficient rat involves the catecholaminergic neurons of the hypothalamus.

KEY WORDS: • zinc deficiency • tyrosine • food intake • catecholamines

¹ Contribution of the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal Series No. 9080. Department of Health and Human Services, Grant No. HL11614.

Manuscript received 3 November 1983.