Effect of protein malnutrition on the glycolytic and glutaminolytic enzyme activity of rat thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes.

The activity of important glycolytic enzymes (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase, phosphohexoseisomerase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) and glutaminolytic enzymes (phosphate-dependent glutaminase) was determined in the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes of Wistar rats submitted to protein malnutrition (6% protein in the diet rather than 20%) from conception to 12 weeks after birth. The wet weight (g) of the thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes decreased due to protein malnutrition by 87% (from 0.30 +/- 0.05 to 0.04 +/- 0.01) and 75% (0.40 +/- 0.04 to 0.10 +/- 0.02), respectively. The protein content was reduced only in the thymus from 102.3 +/- 4.4 (control rats) to 72.6 +/- 6.6 (malnourished rats). The glycolytic enzymes were not affected by protein malnutrition, but the glutaminase activity of the thymus and lymph nodes was reduced by half in protein-malnourished rats as compared to controls. This fact may lead to a decrease in the cellularity of the organ and thus in its size, weight and protein content.