DIETARY NUCLEOTIDES AFFECT HEPATIC GROWTH AND COMPOSITION IN THE WEANLING MOUSE

The effect of dietary nucleotides upon hepatic growth and composition was examined in weanling mice. For 5 weeks, mice were fed either Purin a(TM) Rat Chow, a nucleotide-free -diet (NT-) a nucleotide-free diet s upplemented with a mixture of rive nucleotides (0.21% w/w), (NT+) or a nucleotide-free diet supplemented with adenosine 5'-monophosphate (0. 0425% w/w) (NTA). Hepatic cholesterol and lipid phosphorous were signi ficantly higher, whereas liver weight (expressed as a percentage of bo dy weight), and glycogen were lower in animals fed NT- vs all other gr oups. NTA-fed animals presented a greater contrast to the NT group tha n did animals fed the mixture of nucleotides. Liver fatty acid composi tion and distribution of phospholipid subclasses were not affected by dietary nucleotide supplementation. Dietary nucleotide supplementation in weanling mice affects hepatic growth and composition; adenosine 5' -monophosphate may play a unique role in these effects.