glycogen and Kwashiorkor

Different animal models have been used to study the effects of prenatal protein undernutrition and the mechanisms by which these occur. In mammals, the maternal diet is manipulated, exerting both direct nutritional and indirect hormonal effects. Chicken embryos develop independent from the hen in the egg. Therefore, in the chicken, the direct effects of protein deficiency by albumen removal early during incubation can be examined. Prenatal protein undernutrition was established in layer-type eggs by the partial replacement of albumen by saline at embryonic day 1 (albumen-deprived group), compared to a mock-treated sham and a non-treated control group. At hatch, survival of the albumen-deprived group was lower compared to the control and sham group due to increased early mortality by the manipulation. No treatment differences in yolk-free body weight or yolk weight could be detected. The water content of the yolk was reduced, whereas the water content of the carcass was increased in the albumen-deprived group, compared to the control group, indicating less uptake of nutrients from the yolk. At embryonic day 16, 20 and at hatch, plasma triiodothyronine (T3), corticosterone, lactate or glucose concentrations and hepatic glycogen content were not affected by treatment. At embryonic day 20, the plasma thyroxine (T4) concentrations of the albumen-deprived embryos was reduced compared to the control group, indicating a decreased metabolic rate. Screening for differential protein expression in the liver at hatch using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis revealed not only changed abundance of proteins important for amino acid metabolism, but also of enzymes related to energy and glucose metabolism. Interestingly, GLUT1, a glucose transporter, and PCK2 and FBP1, two out of three regulatory enzymes of the gluconeogenesis were dysregulated. No parallel differences in gene expressions causing the differences in protein abundance could be detected pointing to post-transcriptional or post-translational regulation of the observed differences.

Topics: Albumins; Amino Acids; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Avian Proteins; Chick Embryo; Chickens; Disease Models, Animal; Eggs; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Female; Fructose-Bisphosphatase; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Glucose; Glucose Transporter Type 1; Glycogen; Humans; Kwashiorkor; Liver; Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (ATP); Poultry Diseases; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Survival Analysis; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Thyroxine

Muscle electrolyte composition has been studied in 10 infants with marasmus and eight children with kwashiorkor. The presence of altered muscle salt and water concentrations was confined in the latter nutritional syndrome. The marasmic infant, with equivalent or more severe nutritional wasting than the child with kwashiorkor, maintained a more normal muscle electrolyte concentration as indicated by a number of criteria. The pathophysiology of the altered muscle composition in kwashiorkor remains unclear; however, it appears to be more specific than due just to a depletion of available fat and muscle stores. Although possible endocrine mechanisms can be postulated to explain the change in muscle chemistry, the existing evidence is inadequate. Clearly, continuing research is warranted.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Child, Preschool; Chlorides; Electrolytes; Female; Glycogen; Humans; Infant; Kwashiorkor; Male; Muscles; Phosphocreatine; Potassium; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Sodium

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase; Child, Preschool; Egypt; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; Glycogen; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Infant; Kwashiorkor; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Lipid Metabolism; Neutrophils; Peroxidases; RNA

Topics: Actomyosin; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Carbon Radioisotopes; Deficiency Diseases; Disease Models, Animal; DNA; Female; Glycogen; Kwashiorkor; Leucine; Lipid Metabolism; Liver; Mitochondria; Muscle Proteins; Myocardium; Myofibrils; Organ Size; Polyribosomes; Protein Biosynthesis; Rats; RNA; Threonine

Topics: Age Factors; Animals; Biopsy; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Fatty Liver; Fructose; Glycogen; Haplorhini; Kwashiorkor; Liver; Microscopy, Electron; Papio; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Sucrose; Triglycerides

Topics: Biopsy; Child; Egypt; Glucosyltransferases; Glycogen; Humans; Kwashiorkor; Liver; Liver Glycogen; Muscle Proteins; Muscles; Nutrition Disorders; Protein-Energy Malnutrition; Proteins