Differential Effect of Gluten and Casein Diets on Rat Liver HMP Shunt Dehydrogenases

Abstract

The effect of diets containing as their protein component wheat gluten or casein, fed ad libitum to adult male rats for 1 to 6 days, after 6 days of protein deprivation, on the liver levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G8PD) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) were studied. In rats fed the gluten diet the values of body weight gain, liver size, liver protein, liver xanthine oxidase, G«PD and 6PGD activities were lower in comparison with rats fed the casein diet. Amino acid supplements to the gluten diet improved the nutritive value of this diet, as shown b> the enhancement of body weight gain, liver size, liver protein and xanthine oxidase activity to levels found in rats fed the casein diet, but failed to increase GePD and 6PGD activities. Essential fatty acids added to the casein diet, in order to bring their level up to that of the gluten diet, proved incapable of decreasing the levels of G«PD and 6PGD activities found in rats fed the casein diet..It was concluded that the differ ential effect of gluten and casein on liver GoPD and 6PGD is independent of differences in the nutritive value and in the essential fatty acid content of these proteins, and is dependent upon one or more factors different from those known to affect the liver HMP shunt dehydrogenases. J. Nutr. 104: 819-827, 1974.