EFFECTS OF DIETARY PROTEINS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF LIPOGENIC ENZYMES IN THE LIVER OF GROWING CHICKS

In Experiment 1, when fasted chicks were fed diets containing various sources of protein for 3 days, the activities of lipogenic enzymes (acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthetase, citrate cleavage enzyme and malic enzyme) in the liver of growing chicks were significantly lower in the soybean protein or gluten diet than in the casein or fish protein diet. Triglycride contents of the liver and plasma of chicks fed the casein or fish protein diet were significantly lower than that of those fed soybean protein or gluten diet. In Experiment 2, the effects of dietary amino acid mixture simulating casein or protein on the activities of hepatic lipogenic enzymes were examined. The activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase in the liver of chicks fed the casein diet were significantly higher than that of those fed the soybean protein diet or two diets of amino acid mixtures. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the two diets of amino acid mixture based on casein or soybean protein. However, the activities of malic enzyme and citrate cleavage enzyme tended to be lower in the soybean-type amino acid diet than in the casein-type amino acid diet. Thus, some effects can be ascribed to the protein itself and some to the amino acid composition of the protein sources.