Increased plasma homocysteine concentration in rats from a low casein diet.
Rats were fed on a 10% casein (10C) diet, 30% casein (30C) diet, 10C+0.5% methionine diet, or 30C+0.5% methionine diet for 14 d to investigate the relationship between the dietary protein level and plasma homocysteine concentration. The plasma homocysteine concentration was significantly higher in the rats fed on the 10C diet than in the rats fed on the 30C diet, and this phenomenon persisted even under the condition of methionine supplementation. The activity of hepatic cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) was significantly lower in the rats fed on the 10% casein diets than in the rats fed on the 30% casein diets, irrespective of methionine supplementation. This is the first demonstration of a low-protein diet increasing the plasma homocysteine concentration in experimental animals. It is suggested that the decreased CBS activity might be associated, at least in part, with the hyperhomocysteinemia caused by the low-casein diet.
Okawa
Hiroshi
H
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University.
Morita
Tatsuya
T
Sugiyama
Kimio
K
D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002364:Caseins; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D003541:Cystathionine beta-Synthase