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Synthesis of Hepatic Protein During Pregnancy in the Rat^1,2,

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720

The accumulation of hepatic protein during pregnancy in the rat could be the result of a decrease in rate of degradation, an increase in rate of synthesis or both. The purpose of the study was to determine relative rates of synthesis of hepatic protein for pregnant and nonpregnant rats. Pregnant and nonpregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a 20% casein, purified diet from the first day of gestation. On d 19 of gestation the rats were killed. Livers were weighed and assayed for RNA. Relative synthesis rates of hepatic protein were assessed by homologous in vitro cell-free translation. RNA per liver and per g liver and incorporation of labeled leucine into protein per liver and per unit of RNA were greater for the pregnant rats than the nonpregnant rats. In conclusion, accumulation of hepatic protein during pregnancy is at least partially the result of an increase in rate of synthesis.

KEY WORDS: • pregnancy • liver • protein synthesis • RNA

¹ Supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grant #08 T2 GM07379B.

² Poster presentation at FASEB 1985 Anaheim, CA. Fed. Proc. 44: 1857 (abs. 8443).

³ Present address: Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103.

Manuscript received 20 November 1987. Revision accepted 20 June 1988.