The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the acute (post-weaning growth) and chronic (lactating rats undernourished since prenatal period and their pups) caloric restriction on hepatic gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity and glutathione levels of rats. Diet consumption was either unrestricted (control group) or 30% restricted (undernourished group).Two trials, one of acute malnutrition and another of chronic malnutrition, were conducted. Acute restriction caused significant reduction in the weight gain of the growing rats, but chronically undernourished mothers showed a significantly higher weight gain/pup, since they presented fewer pups. No significant alterations in glutathione levels, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity, or even in the hepatic protein concentration were observed under acute or chronic caloric restriction. The less pronounced unbalance in the profile of plasmatic amino acids and in the protein synthesis (consequence of caloric, rather than protein malnutrition) can justify such results.
Gamma-glutamyltransferase; glutathione; protein-energy malnutrition; growth; pregnancy; lactation
