Intestinal transfer and hepatic incorporation of amino acids in rats fed various carbohydrates
Varnell, T.R.; Chang, Y.O.
International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. Internationale Zeitschrift für Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal International de Vitaminologie et de Nutrition 44(1): 127-133
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-9831 PMID: 4838359 Document Number: 70484
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 5 weeks on a diet of wheat gluten 24, hydrogenated vegetable oil 10, salt mix 4, vitamin mix 1 and fructose, galactose, lactose or maltose 61%. Feed intake, growth rate, amino acid transfer and uptake by intestinal and hepatic tissues in vitro and hepatic enzyme activity were estimated. Feed intake was the same with lactose, maltose and fructose and daily weight gain was significantly less with lactose due, presumably, to the high incidence of diarrhoea in the group. Rats on galactose ate disproportionately more feed in relation to their gain in body weight and quickly developed polyuria, galactosuria and cataracts. The thickness of the intestinal wall was greatest with galactose. Uptake of L-leucine-14C by hepatic tissue and intestinal transfer rate of amino acids were lowest with galactose. There was no difference between the diets in activities in the liver of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Malate dehydrogenase activities were higher in liver of rats on galactose and fructose than on lactose and maltose. The significance of the increased malate dehydrogenase activity was not clear but it did not seem to be related to any aspect of general animal response to the carbohydrate diet.