Chemical Pathology of Acute Amino Acid Deficiencies

Abstract

Young rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were force-fed for 3 days purified diets devoid of threonine and containing low (9%), normal (16%) or high (28%) levels of amino acids. With feeding the experimental diets, the ratio of carbohydrate (dextrin) to amino acids became 8:1 in the low, 4:1 in the normal, and 2:1 in the high amino acid diets. All animals developed fatty liver with a periportal distribution, increased hepatic glycogen, and atrophy of the pancreas, submaxillary gland, stomach, spleen, and thymus. The results indicate that the level of amino acid intake did not alter appreciably the pathologic changes caused by the threonine deficiency.