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Rats that consume caffeine show decreased brain protein synthesis

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Abstract

The effect of caffeine on protein synthesis in brain and liver was studied. When caffeine was added to a post-mitochondrial supernatant from rat brain protein synthesis was inhibited, i.e. 1 mM caffeine about 20%. The effect on protein synthesis of two weeks administration of large doses of caffeine in the drinking fluid of rats was also measured. Caffeine decreased protein synthesis in rat brain by about 32% and 20% compared with “ad libitum” and pair-fed controls. Protein synthesis was calculated taking into account the levels of free leucine determined by HPLC: 0.10 μmol/g brain of “ad libitum”; 0.11 for pair-fed and 0.07 for caffeine. The pattern of proteins synthesized was not significantly altered by caffeine as shown by gel-electrophoresis and fluorography. There was no effect on protein synthesis of liver. The possible significance of these results is briefly discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Investigaciones Citológicas de la Caja de Ahorros de Valencia, Amadeo de Saboya 4, 46010, Valencia, Spain

    Vicente Felipo, Manuel Portolés, María-Dolores Miñana & Santiago Grisolía

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  1. Vicente Felipo
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  2. Manuel Portolés
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  3. María-Dolores Miñana
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  4. Santiago Grisolía
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Felipo, V., Portolés, M., Miñana, MD. et al. Rats that consume caffeine show decreased brain protein synthesis. Neurochem Res 11, 63–69 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00965166

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00965166

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