title: Acute-phase response of plasma protein synthesis during experimental inflammation in neonatal rats.
abstract: The pattern of plasma protein concentrations in neonatal rats differs characteristically from that in adult animals. Immediately after birth, the concentration of alpha 2-macroglobulin is about 200 times higher, that of major acute-phase alpha 1-protein the same, and that of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, another acute phase protein, is considerably lower, compared with the values observed in healthy adults. The concentration of prealbumin, a negative acute-phase protein, remains low in the immediate postnatal period, but increases at a time when concentrations of both thyroxine and corticosterone increase. At this time, there is also a distinct increase in the concentration of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. Despite the differences in concentration of plasma proteins in the adult rat and the neonate, the neonatal liver has the capability to respond to an acute inflammation with a coordinated change in the synthesis rates of plasma proteins similar to that observed in adult animals.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schreiber
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D007700:Kinetics; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000032:analysis; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011915:Rats, Inbred BUF; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis; D014886:Weaning; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009961:Orosomucoid; D011228:Prealbumin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins