Tissue concentrations of coenzyme Q, ubichromenol and tocopherol in relation to protein status in the rat

Abstract

Protein deprivation in the diet of adult and weanling rats resulted in lowering the contents of coenzyme [image] and ubichromenol in liver and heart. The contents of coenzyme [image] and ubichromenol in liver and heart of weanling rats increased with the increase in the percentage of protein in the diet. The coenzyme [image] con-tents of kidney, spleen and brain were little affected. Addition of phenylalanine or coenzyme [image] to the diet containing 6% of casein in-creased the coenzyme [center dot] content in the liver. The liver-succinoxidase activity markedly decreased as the protein concentration in the diet decreased. Addition of coenzyme [image] or phenylalanine to the diet with 6% of casein did not increase the liver-succinoxidase activity.