Elsevier

Neuroscience

Volume 4, Issue 11, November 1979, Pages 1751-1760
Neuroscience

The utilization of dl-[3-14c]hydroxybutyrate by malnourished rat pups

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4522(79)90032-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Protein-calorie restricted newborn rats were found to incorporate significantly less β-hydroxybutyrate into brain protein and lipid components for the first 15 days of life as compared to well-fed controls. The labelling of brain tissue by β-hydroxybutyrate was maximal during mid-suckling in both groups and then decreased immediately after weaning to the levels measured in adult rats. Undernutrition did not alter the incorporation of β-hydroxybutyrate into brain amino acids. Unexpectedly, liver tissue was found capable of incorporating β-hydroxybutyrate into the protein, amino acids and lipid fractions to nearly the same extent as brain tissue although its utilization increased with age in contrast to the results observed for brain tissue. Malnutrition decreased the incorporation of β-hydroxybutyrate into liver protein but did not alter its entry into the amino acids or lipid components. The brain or liver enzymes, β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, 3-oxo-CoA transferase, or acetoacetyl coenzyme A thiolase activities were not affected by the dietary restriction. Differences in these enzymes therefore cannot explain the decreased incorporation of β-hydroxybutyrate into the brain or liver fractions.

It is suggested that the underutilization of β-hydroxybutyrate by malnourished animals for protein and lipid formation is not due to decreased uptake, but may be due to an alteration in the protein and lipid synthetic capacities of the tissues. Since the amount of radioactive β-hydroxybutyrate entering the liver tissue fractions increased throughout development and hepatic 3-oxo-coenzyme A transferase activity is of the same order of magnitude as the brain β-ydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, the transferase activity may after all be sufficient to account for the labelling observed in liver.

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