Behavior of the liver key lipogenesis enzymes in rat fed threonine imbalanced diet

The effects of the threonine imbalanced diet (8% casein plus 0.3% methionine) on the activities of the liver key lipogenesis enzymes, acetyl CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase, in the rats were investigated as a function of the feeding periods until the development of fatty liver. The accumulation of hepatic triglyceride due to feeding the imbalanced diet was significant at the third day and thereafter in comparison with that of the control rats (8% casein). There were no demonstrable differences in the acetyl CoA carboxylase activity between two groups, except for the increase in the imbalanced rats after 7 days. The significance of this increase at the later stage is not obscure, since fatty infiltration in the liver could already be observed at much more early stage. No differences could also be demonstrated in the activity of fatty acid synthetase. These data do not necessarily support the prevalent view that the increase in hepatic lipogenesis is the sole factor responsible for the development of this type of fatty liver.