Glycerylphosphorylcholine diesterase activity of uterine fluid in conditions inducing secondary sex ratio change in the rat.
Food restriction or decreasing the ratio of [Na+, K+] to [Ca++, Mg++] in the diet of female rats before conception favoured the production of female offspring. Seven days of food deprivation decreased uterine fluid GPC diesterase activity in female rats, whereas long-term food restriction (21 days), rather than decreasing the enzyme activity, apparently stimulated it. Dietary Ca and Mg supplementation, likewise, produced significant decrease in GPC diesterase activity. A significantly positive correlation was observed between the levels of uterine GPC diesterase and secondary sex ratio change, which indicates that these dietary techniques of sex-ratio manipulation may modulate the uterine fluid GPC diesterase activity and influence sex determination in utero.
Mitra
J
J
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Calcutta, India.
Chowdhury
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000201:enzymology; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation; D008098:Litter Size; D008274:Magnesium / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012744:Sex Ratio; D014599:Uterus / Q000201:enzymology*
D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; C020677:glycerophosphocholine phosphodiesterase; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium