DIETARY WHEAT GLUTEN ALLEVIATES THE ELEVATION OF SERUM TRANSAMINASE ACTIVITIES IN D-GALACTOSAMINE-INJECTED RATS

The effects of dietary protein on the elevation of activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) i n D-galactosamine-injected rats were investigated. The rats fed with e xperimental diets containing test protein sources for 2 weeks were inj ected with D-galactosamine (0.8 g . kg(-1) body weight). The activitie s of AST and ALT in serum were assayed after 20 h. According to the re sults, these enzyme activities in the rats fed 40% casein diet were hi gher than those of 5, 10, or 20% casein groups. In the 40% gluten grou p, these enzyme activities were lower than in the 40% casein group. Th is difference was not considered to be caused by the deficit of L-lysi ne and L-threonine in gluten. The extent of the reduction of UTP and U DP-glucose in liver by D-galactosamine was almost the same in the 40% gluten and 40% casein groups. These results suggest that levels and qu ality of dietary protein affect the susceptibility of animals to the h epatotoxin D-galactosamine and dietary gluten was found to alleviate t he elevation of serum transaminases in rats by the drug.