Casein, hydrolyzed casein, and amino acids that simulate casein produce the same extent of mucosal adaptation to massive bowel resection in adult rats.

We determined the effect of the extent of protein polymerization on the intestinal hyperplastic adaptation of adult male Wistar rats after 80% resection of the jejunal-ileal segment. Rats received one of four chemically defined solid diets prepared by using casein, two casein hydrolysates of different peptide size distributions, or free amino acids simulating casein and identical in all other components for 12 d, starting 3 d after surgery. Semipaired feeding was used to ensure that the same quantity of food was ingested by each group and as a consequence, nitrogen and energy intakes were reduced to 63% of that obtained with ad libitum feeding of the casein diet to intact rats. No significant differences were demonstrable in food ingestion, weight gain, nitrogen balance, or morphometric data for the remaining jejunal and ileal segments (number of cells/villus, number of cells/crypt, and crypt cell mitosis rate). These data demonstrate that the extent of polymerization of the protein nitrogen source did not affect the hyperplastic adaptative process of the rat. Additional studies in humans are necessary to determine whether intact protein diets can be used first as a nitrogen source in nutritional support of patients with a nonspecific hyperplastic response to surgical resection before the use of expensive hydrolysates and the more expensive amino acid mixtures.

Amino acid patterns in the plasma and ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients.

Amino acid levels were measured in the plasma and ascitic fluid of 13 alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis and of 14 normal controls. The plasma aromatic amino acids of the alcoholic patients were not statistically different from those of the control subjects, whereas the levels of branched-chain amino acids were reduced (P less than 0.05). The values for the ratio of the muscle/liver metabolized amino acids (valine + isoleucine + leucine)/(phenylalanine + tyrosine + methionine) were statistically lower in the cirrhotic patients both in plasma and ascitic fluid (P less than 0.05). The amino acid levels in the ascitic fluid of the cirrhotic patients were slightly lower than those in the plasma of the same patients and the values for the muscle/liver metabolized amino acid ratio were similar in plasma and ascitic fluid. Aspartic acid, glutamic acid and glycine levels were higher among the cirrhotic patients (P less than 0.05). Cirrhotic patients present an alteration in amino acid metabolism which creates a different amino acid pattern in both plasma and ascitic fluid. The significance of the proposed ratio and its possible relation to hepatic failure are discussed.

Enzymatic inactivation of bradykinin by rat brain neuronal perikarya.

1. Bradykinin (Bk; Arg1-Pro2-Pro3-Gly4-Phe5-Ser6-Pro7-Phe8-Arg8) inactivation by bulk isolated neurons from rat brain is described. 2. Bk is rapidly inactivated by neuronal perikarya (4.2 +/- 0.6 fmol/min/cell body). 3. Sites of inactivating cleavages, determined by a kininase bioassay combined with a time-course Bk-product analysis, were the Phe5-Ser6, Pro7-Phe8, Gly4-Phe5, and Pro3-Gly4 peptide bonds. The cleavage of the Phe5-Ser6 bond inactivated Bk at least five fold faster than the other observed cleavages. 4. Inactivating peptidases were identified by the effect of inhibitors on Bk-product formation. The Phe5-Ser6 bond cleavage is attributed mainly to a calcium-activated thiol-endopeptidase, a predominantly soluble enzyme which did not behave as a metalloenzyme upon dialysis and was strongly inhibited by N-[1(R,S)-carboxy-2-phenylethyl]-Ala-Ala-Phe-p-aminobenzoate and endo-oligopeptidase A antiserum. Thus, neuronal perikarya thiol-endopeptidase seems to differ from endo-oligopeptidase A and endopeptidase 24.15. 5. Endopeptidase 24.11 cleaves Bk at the Gly4-Phe5 and, to a larger extent, at the Pro7-Phe8 bond. The latter bond is also cleaved by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and prolyl endopeptidase (PE). PE also hydrolyzes Bk at the Pro3-Gly4 bond. 6. Secondary processing of Bk inactivation products occurs by (1) a rapid cleavage of Ser6-Pro7-Phe8-Arg8 at the Pro7-Phe8 bond by endopeptidase 24.11, 3820ACE, and PE; (2) a bestatin-sensitive breakdown of Phe8-Arg9; and (3) conversion of Arg1-Pro7 to Arg1-Phe5, of Gly4-Arg9 to both Gly4-Pro7 and Ser6-Arg9, and of Phe5-Arg9 to Ser6-Arg9, Phe8-Arg9, and Ser6-Pro7, by unidentified peptidases. 7. A model for the enzymatic inactivation of bradykinin by rat brain neuronal perikarya is proposed.

A heme-binding protein from hemolymph and oocytes of the blood-sucking insect, Rhodnius prolixus. Isolation and characterization.

A heme-binding protein has been isolated and characterized from both the hemolymph and oocytes of the blood-sucking insect, Rhodnius prolixus. The protein from both sources is identical in most aspects studied. The Rhodnius heme-binding protein (RHBP) is composed of a single 15-kDa polypeptide chain coiled in a highly alpha-helical structure which binds non-covalently one heme/polypeptide chain. This RHBP is not produced by limited degradation of hemoglobin from the vertebrate host, since specific polyclonal antibodies against it do not cross-react with rabbit hemoglobin, and since it differs from hemoglobin in having a distinct amino-acid composition and NH2-terminal sequence. The spectrum of the dithionite-reduced protein has peaks at 426, 530, and 559 nm and resembles that of a b-type cytochrome. RHBP from hemolymph is not saturated with heme and promptly binds heme added to the solution. The oocyte protein, on the other hand, is fully saturated and is not capable of binding additional heme.