Response of the Liver to Prolonged Protein Depletion

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Abstract
Adult male rats maintained with a protein-free ration for 100 days progressively lost phospholipids from the liver cells. The presence of 0.3% DL-methionine in the protein-free ration prevented maximal loss of cellular phospholipids. Plasmalogens were also lost during depletion but not to as great an extent as total phospholipids. Inclusion of methionine in the protein-free ration had no effect on the loss of plasmalogens, in contrast with the effect on total phospholipids. It was shown that the loss of plasmalogens was due entirely to the lowered food intake in protein deficiency, again in contrast with the total phospholipids. Study of other amino acids added individually to the protein-free ration for 8 weeks indicated that only methionine and cystine protected against loss of phospholipids.