title: Effect of protein malnutrition on the glycolytic and glutaminolytic enzyme activity of rat thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes.
abstract: The activity of important glycolytic enzymes (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase, phosphohexoseisomerase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) and glutaminolytic enzymes (phosphate-dependent glutaminase) was determined in the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes of Wistar rats submitted to protein malnutrition (6% protein in the diet rather than 20%) from conception to 12 weeks after birth. The wet weight (g) of the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes decreased due to protein malnutrition by 87% (from 0.30 +/- 0.05 to 0.04 +/- 0.01) and 75% (0.40 +/- 0.04 to 0.10 +/- 0.02), respectively. The protein content was reduced only in the thymus from 102.3 +/- 4.4 (control rats) to 72.6 +/- 6.6 (malnourished rats). The glycolytic enzymes were not affected by protein malnutrition, but the glutaminase activity of the thymus and lymph nodes was reduced by half in protein-malnourished rats as compared to controls. This fact may lead to a decrease in the cellularity of the organ and thus in its size, weight and protein content.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil. mabia@bmb.icb1.usp.br
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: dos-Santos
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Curi
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Barbieri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005956:Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase / Q000378:metabolism; D005972:Glutaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006019:Glycolysis / Q000502:physiology*; D006593:Hexokinase / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D010732:Phosphofructokinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000201:enzymology*; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005973:Glutamine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D006593:Hexokinase; D010732:Phosphofructokinase-1; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase; D005972:Glutaminase; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase; D005956:Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase; D005947:Glucose