Abstract
Protein energy malnutrition has become a major health issue in developing countries. In the present study, the effect of protein deficiency on the small intestine and liver tissue content of macroelements and trace elements was investigated in weanling rats. Forty-five male weanling Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups. The control group (C) was fed a standard diet containing 25% casein, whereas the two experimental groups E1 and E2 consumed 12% and 3% casein, respectively, over a period of 45 d. The tissue samples were analyzed for zinc, copper, iron, manganese, calcium, and magnesium by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The protein-deficient groups showed increased levels of iron in both tissues and decreased manganese in small intestine tissue from the E1 group. No other differences were found for the other elements. These results suggest that protein deficiency might cause iron accumulation in the liver and intestine and decreases of manganese in the small intestine.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Z. H. Verjee and R. Behal, Protein-calorie malnutrition: a study of red blood cell and serum enzymes during and after crisis, Clin. Chim. Acta 70(1), 139–147 (1976).
I. Fridovich, Superoxide radical and superoxide dismutases, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 64, 97–112 (1995).
E. J. Underwood, Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition, Academic, New York (1977).
L. H. Schwartz, T. Urban, and S. Herzberg, Antioxidant minerals and vitamins. Role in cancer prevention, Presse Med. 23(39), 1826–1830 (1994).
P. L. Leung and X. L. Lsi, Multielement analysis in serum of thyroid cancer patients before and after a surgical operation, Biol. Trace Element Res. 51(3), 259–266 (1996).
J. M. Hsu, Biochemistry and metabolism of zinc, in Zinc and Copper in Medicine, Charles C Thomas, Springfield, IL (1980).
P. N. Singla, P. Chand, A. Kumar, et al., Serum, zinc and copper levels in children with protein energy malnutrition, Indian J. Pediatr. 63(2), 199–203 (1996).
E. Gonzalez-Reimers, F. Santolaria-Fernandez, J. Perez-Labajos, et al., Relative and combined effects of propylthiouracil, ethanol and protein deficiency on liver histology and hepatic iron, zinc, manganese and copper contents, Alcohol 31(6), 535–545 (1996).
A. Conde Martel, E. Gonzalez Reimers, F. Santolaria Fernandez, et al., Liver changes in protein malnutrition. An experimental study in rats, Nutr. Hosp. 8(6), 358–363 (1993).
M. V. Marin Briano, C. Castillo Duran, and R. Uauy Dagach, Mineral balance during nutritional recuperation of infants with protein deficiency, Arch. Latinoam. Nutr. 45(3), 172–177 (1995).
P. N. Singla, P. Chand, A. Kumar, et al., Serum magnesium levels in protein-energy malnutrition, J. Trop. Pediatr. 44(2), 117–119 (1998).
D. L. Osheim and P. F. Ross, Atomic absorption spectrophotometric determination of liver copper: a collaborative study, J. Assoc. Anal. Chem. 68(1), 44–45 (1985).
W. E. Greenberg, R. R. Trusell, and L. S. Clescer, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewarter, 60th ed. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC, pp. 143–179 (1996).
J. E. Longbottom, T. D. Martin, K. W. Edgel, et al., Determination of trace elements in water by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry: collaborative study, J. AOAC Int. 77(4), 1004–1023 (1994).
N. Idohou-Dossou, S. Wade, A. T. Guiro, et al., Nutritional status of preschool Senegalese children: long-term effects of early severe malnutrition, Br. J. Nutr. 90(6), 1123–1132, (2003).
E. Gonzalez-Reimers, A. Lopez-Lirola, R. M. Olivera, et al., Effects of protein deficiency on liver trace elements and antioxidant activity in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver cirrhosis, Biol. Trace Element Res. 93(1–3), 127–140 (2003).
A. A. Jackson, Severe undernutrition in Jamaica, Acta Paediatr. Scand. 323, 43–51 (1986).
M. Saimei and Y. Katayama, Iron trends in rat serum related to dietary fish oils under protein malnutrition, Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 48(5), 338–344 (2002).
M. N. Ashour, S. I. Salem, H. M. El-Gadban, et al., Antioxidant status in children with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) living in Cairo, Egypt, Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 53(8), 669–673 (1999).
F. Z. Squali-Houssaïni, J. Arnaud, M. J. Richard, et al., Evaluation du stress oxydant et des défenses antioxydantes chez l'enfant malnutri Marocain, Ann. Nutr. Metab. 47, 149–159 (1997).
A. López-Lirola, E. González-Reimers, R. Martín Olivera, et al., Protein deficiency and muscle damage in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver cirrhosis, Food Chem. Toxicol. 41(12), 1789–1797 (2003).
F. L. Weber, P. T. Macechko, S. R. Kelson, et al., Increased muscle protein catabolism caused by carbon tetrachloride hepatic injury in rats, Gastroenterology 102, 1700–1706 (1992).
C. L. Mendenhall, S. Anderson, R. E. Weesner, et al., Protein-calorie malnutrition associated with alcoholic hepatitis, Am. J. Med. 76, 211–222 (1984).
H. Lenhartz, R. Ndasi, A. Anninos, et al., The clinical manifestation of the kwashiorkor syndrome is related to increased lipid peroxidation, J. Pediatr. 132(5), 879–881 (1998).
M. Tatli, H. Vural, A. Koc, et al., Altered anti-oxidant status and increased lipid peroxidation in marasmic children, Pediatr. Int. 42(3), 289 (2000).
A. Conde-Martel, E. Gonzalez-Reimers, F. Santolari-Fernandez, et al., Combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on hepatic iron, zinc, manganese, and copper contents, Alcohol 9(5), 341–358 (1992).
J. A. García-Aranda, C. Meza-Camacho, and S. Pandzich-Arapov, Manganese determination in blood from malnourished children, Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant Méx. 47, 247–250 (1990).
J. A. Garcia-Aranda, F. Lishitz, and R. A. Wapnir, Intestinal absorption of manganese in experimental malnutrition, Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 3(4), 602–607 (1984).
F. Tanzer and I. Ozalp, Plasma and leukocyte zinc and copper levels in patients with protein energy malnutrition, J. Trop. Pediatr. 34, 306–308 (1988).
G. W. Evans and P. E. Johnson, Characterization and quantitation of a zinc-binding lig-and in human milk, Pediatr. Res. 14, 876–880 (1980).
P. Rodriguez, N. Darmon, P. Chappuis, et al., Intestinal paracellular permeability during malnutrition in guinea pigs: effect of high dietary zinc, Gut 39(3), 416–422 (1996).
T. Takeda, M. Kimura, and Y. Itokawa, Imbalance of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus in bone and other tissues of rats induced by low protein and calcium deficiency, J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. (Tokyo) 39(4), 355–363 (1993).
D. Maiter, M. Maes, L. E. Underwood, et al., Early changes in serum concentrations of somatomedin-C induced by dietary protein deprivation in rats: Contributions of growth hormone receptor and post-receptor defects, J. Endocrinol. 118(1), 113–120 (1988).
E. Gonzalez-Reimers, A. Conce-Martel, F. Santolaria-Fernandez, et al., Relative and combined roles of ethanol and protein malnutrition on muscle zinc, potassium, copper, iron, and magnesium, Alcohol Alcohol. 28(3), 311–318 (1993).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kilicalp, D., Dede, S., Belge, F. et al. Effect of protein deficiency on macroelement and trace element levels of weanling rats' small intestine and liver tissues. Biol Trace Elem Res 107, 255–261 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:107:3:255
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:107:3:255