title: Changes in rat liver weight and specific activity of hepatic tryptophan dioxygenase in different stages of fasting.
abstract: The effect of starvation on liver weight and the specific activity of hepatic tryptophan dioxygenase (EC 1.13.1.12) in prepubertal male rats (Vom Ife strain) maintained in several stages of fasting was studied. The specific activity of hepatic tryptophan dioxygenase was significant after 24 h of fasting. It then fell to a nadir at 96 h before a secondary but significant peak after 120 h. During refeeding after a 120 h fast the specific activity was initially lower than controls after 96 h. The liver weight was significantly lower than controls throughout the fasting period although it was higher at 96 h. On refeeding the liver weight attained control values after 96 h. There appears to be some adaptive change with respect to liver weight and the specific activity of tryptophan dioxygenase at 96 h during fasting, and on refeeding after a severe fast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Kukoyi
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005215:Fasting / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005943:Gluconeogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase; D014366:Tryptophan Oxygenase