Noradrenaline levels and morphologic alterations of myocardium in experimental protein - calorie malnutrition

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Abstract
Experimental protein-calorie malnutrition was produced in rats by giving them a low-protein diet for 6 wk. Control animals were fed a high-protein diet. The deficient rats showed severe restriction of body weight gain, fatty liver and hypoproteinemia. Experimentally induced protein-calorie malnutrition brings about marked pathological changes and increased catecholamine levels in the hearts of rats. Nutritional stress to the heart raises levels of myocardial noradrenaline [norepinephrine] concentration and the continued exposure to high levels of catecholamines may play a role in the development of cardiac changes in protein-energy malnutrition.