ENDOGENEOUS INCREASE OF PROTEINASE-INHIBITORS AS A POSSIBLE MECHANISMOF ADAPTATION AND SUBCLINICAL UNDERNUTRITION RESULTING IN STUNTING

There is evidence that the organism tries to keep an optimal relations hip of weight to a given height in the case of subclinical undernutrit ion. The underlying mechanism seems to regulate the growth spurt so th at a beneficial relationship of weight on cost of the height spurt can be maintained. Proteinase inhibitors might be involved in such an ada ptation process. In children from the rural sector of Thailand the ser um proteinase inhibitor alpha(2)-macroglobulin was found to be elevate d above well-nourished children from the urban area. 3-Methylhistidine excretion in the urine was lower in the village children compared wit h those of the children from Bangkok. Similar observations were made i n rat experiments. It is hypothised that alpha(2)-macroglobulin elevat ion during nutritional stress might be one of the mechanism which caus es the children's organism to try and find an optimal relationship bet ween catabolism and synthesis resulting in stunting. Copyright (C) 199 6 Elsevier Science Inc.