Biomaterial Database

High levels of dietary amino and branched-chain alpha-keto acids alter plasma and brain amino acid concentrations in rats. 1991

K P Block, and A E Harper

Department of Biochemistry, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.

Plasma and brain amino acid and plasma branched-chain alpha-keto acid (BCKA) concentrations were measured in rats fed diets containing high levels of individual amino and alpha-keto acids. Consumption of a low-protein (9% casein) diet high in leucine or alpha-ketoisocaproate depressed plasma concentrations of isoleucine and valine and their respective keto acids, alpha-keto-beta-methylvalerate and alpha-ketoisovalerate. High dietary levels of alpha-keto-beta-methylvalerate or alpha-ketoisovalerate (but not of isoleucine or valine) depressed plasma concentrations of the other BCKA and their respective branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). Consumption of a low protein, high phenylalanine diet depressed plasma concentrations of both BCAA and BCKA. Brain large neutral amino acid pools of rats fed all low-protein, high-amino acid diets were depleted. Consumption of diets high in individual BCKA increased brain concentrations of aromatic amino acids. In this study of rats allowed to feed for only 6 h/d, elevated brain phenylalanine concentration was associated with a significant depression of food intake, whereas elevated brain BCAA concentrations were not. Also, elevated plasma BCKA concentrations, comparable with those observed in maple syrup urine disease, were accompanied by elevations in concentrations of aromatic amino acids in brain but not in plasma.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007651	Keto Acids	Carboxylic acids that contain a KETONE group.	Oxo Acids,Oxoacids,Acids, Keto,Acids, Oxo
D008297	Male		Males
D011897	Random Allocation	A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects.	Randomization,Allocation, Random
D001923	Brain Chemistry	Changes in the amounts of various chemicals (neurotransmitters, receptors, enzymes, and other metabolites) specific to the area of the central nervous system contained within the head. These are monitored over time, during sensory stimulation, or under different disease states.	Chemistry, Brain,Brain Chemistries,Chemistries, Brain
D004044	Dietary Proteins	Proteins obtained from foods. They are the main source of the ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS.	Proteins, Dietary,Dietary Protein,Protein, Dietary
D004435	Eating	The consumption of edible substances.	Dietary Intake,Feed Intake,Food Intake,Macronutrient Intake,Micronutrient Intake,Nutrient Intake,Nutritional Intake,Ingestion,Dietary Intakes,Feed Intakes,Intake, Dietary,Intake, Feed,Intake, Food,Intake, Macronutrient,Intake, Micronutrient,Intake, Nutrient,Intake, Nutritional,Macronutrient Intakes,Micronutrient Intakes,Nutrient Intakes,Nutritional Intakes
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015430	Weight Gain	Increase in BODY WEIGHT over existing weight.	Gain, Weight,Gains, Weight,Weight Gains
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus