RESUMO
It has long been supposed that malnutrition predisposes the liver to injury. An attempt has been made to characterize this vulnerable state in biochemical terms. A diet deficient in protein causes the liver cell to lose a large proportion of its cytoplasmic protein and ribonucleic acid. It is suggested that this might lead to a disturbance in the amount or pattern of enzymes, which could have serious metabolic consequences. To test this hypothesis, measurements were first made of a number of single-enzyme systems, e.g. dehydrogenases transaminase choline esterase, cytochrome oxidase, cytochromec reductase. Only choline esterase was reduced in activity in the malnourished liver; the other enzymes were well preserved. Preliminary evidence suggests that more complex systems,involving a chain of enzymes, may be more easily damaged. (AU)
