Metabolic Adaptations in Higher Animals. VIII. Effect of Diet on Ornithine- -Ketoglutarate Transaminase.

Abstract

Summary The activity of ornithine-transaminase per g of liver from young rats fed an 80% casein diet for 4 days was from 4- to 8- fold the value for a control group fed a 25% casein diet. However, when mature or old rats were used in a similar experiment the response to increased protein intake was smaller or absent. Moderate restriction of food intake decreased the activity of the enzyme slightly, and starvation decreased it markedly. Feeding a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet adequate in protein did not affect ornithine-transaminase activity.