AGE-RELATED EFFECT OF DIETARY NUCLEOTIDES ON LIVER NUCLEIC-ACID CONTENT IN RATS

We have addressed the question of whether dietary nucleotides contribu te to the liver nucleic acid pool and whether this contribution is rel ated to age. Two experiments were performed in rats of 1 months, 3 mon ths and 17 months of age. In the first, rats were fed a nucleotide-fre e diet or the same diet, but supplemented with nucleotides for 3 and 1 0 days. In the second experiment, rats were starved for 3 days. Liver RNA decreased by 10-day deprivation of dietary nucleotides and starvat ion in young and adult rats but not in the old. Liver DNA decreased by starvation in adult and old rats but not in the young, whereas nucleo tide deprivation had no effect. These results, demonstrating that diet ary nucleotide deprivation causes an effect on liver RNA pool similar to the effect of starvation, indicate that dietary nucleotides contrib ute to the liver RNA pool, this influence being related to age.