Effect of dietary protein deficiency on Na and K content and ATPase activity of thymic, splenic, lymphatic, and blood lymphocytes in the rat
Spach, C.; Aschkenasy, A.
Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de ses Filiales 167(11): 1540-1544
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-9026 PMID: 4279134 Document Number: 59242
Germ-free Sherman rats of initial bodyweight 200 g were fed for a month on a diet with 18% casein or N-free and then killed. The lymphocytes from thymus, spleen, cervical ganglion and blood were isolated as suspensions for estimation of Na, K and ATP-ase activity. The water content of the lymphocytes was not affected by the dietary treatments. The N-free diet was without effect on Na content of the lymphocytes of thymus and spleen but it caused a significant fall in K and in the sum of Na and K. There was no significant difference in the monovalent cations present in lymphocytes of the cervical ganglion. The N-free diet increased Na content of blood lymphocytes without modifying the amount of Na and K taken together. With the N-free diet activity of ATPase was significantly diminished in lymphocytes of the thymus, unchanged in those of ganglion and blood and appeared to increase in those of the blood.