Abstract
The effect of undernutrition on the activity of two key enzymes of purine salvage pathway, namely hypoxanthineguanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRTase) and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRTase), in cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and brain stem of rats at different days of postnatal development was studied. The activity of HGPRTase and of APRTase is significantly lower in all brain regions of undernourished animals at 5 days after birth; between 10 and 15 days of age there is a recovery of the enzymatic activity which is particularly evident in the cerebellum. Successively both enzymatic activities decrease reaching at 30 days of age values quite similar to those of controls. These results indicate that undernutrition during fetal and postnatal development, impairs and delays the activity of the enzymes of purine salvage pathway.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Howard, W. J., Kerson, L. A., andAppel, S. H. 1970. Synthesis de novo of purines in slices of rat brain and liver. J. Neurochem. 17:121–123.
Bourget, P. A., andTremblay, G. C. 1972. Pyrimidine biosynthesis in the rat brain. J. Neurochem. 19:1617–1624.
Hogans, A. F., Guroff, G., andUdenfriend, S. 1971. Studies on the origin of pyrimidines. J. Neurochem. 18:1699–1710.
Held, I., andWells, W. 1969. Observations on purine metabolism in rat brain. J. Neurochem. 16:529–536.
Mac Donnell, P., Huff, K., Grouse, L., andGuroff, G., 1980. Brain nucleic acids. Pages 211–240,in Kumar, S. (ed.), Biochemistry of brain, Pergamon Press, London.
Mandel, P., andWintzerith, M. 1980. Free nucleotides and nucleic acids during brain development. Pages 241–282,in Kumar, S. (ed.), Biochemistry of brain, Pergamon Press, London.
Nakagawa, S., andGuroff, G., 1973. The uptake of purines by rat brain in vivo and in vitro. J. Neurochem. 20:1143–1149.
Giuffrida, A. M., Serra, I., Fiore, L., Vanella, A., andCozzolino, A. 1974. Biosynthesis of nucleic acids in different regions of rat brain during postnatal development. It. J. Biochem. 23:87–95.
Guroff, G., andBrodsky, M. 1971. Enzymes of nucleic acid metabolism in the brains of young and adult rats. J. Neurochem. 18:2077–2084.
Griffin, W. S. T., Woodward, D. J., andChanda, R. 1977. Malnutrition and brain development. J. Neurochem. 28:1269–1279.
Patel, A. J., Balazs, R., andJohnson, A. L. 1973. Effect of undernutrition on cell formation in the rat brain. J. Neurochem. 20:1151–1165.
Winick, M., andRosso, P. 1975. Malnutrition and central nervous system development. Pages 41–51,in Prescott, J. W., Read, M. S., Coursin, D. B. (eds.), Brain function and malnutrition, Wiley, New York.
Tizard, J. 1974. Early malnutrition, growth and mental development in man. Br. Med. Bull. 30:169–174.
Serra, I., Vanella, A., Avitabile, M., Barcellona, M. L., Avola, R., andGiuffrida, A. M. 1982. De novo biosynthesis of nucleotides and of nucleic acids in different regions of developing rat brain: effect of undernutrition. J. Neurosci. Res. 8:105–112.
Giuffrida, A. M., Hamberger, A., Serra, I., andGeremia, E. 1980. Effect of undernutrition on nucleic acid synthesis in neuronal and glial cells from different regions of developing rat brain. Nutr. Metab. 24:189–198.
Serra, I., Hamberger, A., Ragonese, P., andGiuffrida, A. M. 1982. Effect of undernutrition on DNA and RNA synthesis in subcellular fractions from different regions of the developing rat brain. Neurochem. Res. 7:887–904.
Serra, I., Vanella, A., Avola, R., andGiuffrida, A. M. 1982. DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase activities in different regions of rat brain during postnatal development: effect of undernutrition. Neurochem. Res. 7:943–951.
Vanella, A., Barcellona, M. L., Avitabile, M., Avola, R., Ragusa, N., Serra, I., andGiuffrida, A. M. 1983. Effect of undernutrition on some enzymes of purine metabolism in different regions of developing rat brain. J. Neurosci. Res., 9: in press.
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., andRandall, R. 1951. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193:265–275.
Seegmiller, J. E. 1972. Molecular aspects of the Lesh-Nyhan syndrome. Biochemie. 54:703–708.
Seegmiller, J. E., Rosenbloom, F. M., andKelley, W. N. 1967. Enzyme defect associated with a sex-linked human neurological disorder and excessive purine synthesis. Science. 155:1682–1684.
Murray, A. W. 1971. The biological significance of purine salvage. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 40:811–826.
Gutensohn, W., andGuroff, G. 1972. Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase from rat brain (purification, kinetic properties, development and distribution). J. Neurochem. 19:2139–2150.
Murray, A. W. 1966. Purine-phosphoribosyltransferase activities in rat and mouse tissues and in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Biochem. J. 100:664–670.
Murray, A. W. 1967. Studies on the nature of the regulation by purine nucleotides of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Biochem. J. 103:271–279.
Santos, J. N., Hempstead, K. W., Kopp, L. E., andMiech, R. P. 1968. Nucleotide metabolism in rat brain. J. Neurochem. 15:367–376.
Burnstock, G. 1972. Purinergic nerves. Pharmac. Revs. 24:509–581.
Burnstock, G. 1975. Purinergic transmission. Pages 131–194,in Iversen, L. L., Iversen, S. D., andSnyder, S. H. (eds.), Handbook of Psychopharmacology. Vol. 5, Plenum Press, New York.
Lewis, P. D., Balazs, R., Patel, A. J., Johnson, A. L. 1975. The effect of undernutrition in early life on cell generation in the rat brain. Brain Res. 83:235–247.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vanella, A., Barcellona, M.L., Serra, I. et al. Effect of undernutrition on some enzymes involved in the salvage pathway of purine nucleotides in different regions of developing rat brain. Neurochem Res 8, 151–158 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00963915
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00963915