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Effect of neonatal food restriction and hyperphenylalaninemia on desmosterol to cholesterol (D/C) ratio in developing rat brain
Author(s) -
Shah S. N.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02531968
Subject(s) - desmosterol , hyperphenylalaninemia , sterol , cholesterol , clinical chemistry , endocrinology , chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , phenylalanine , biology , amino acid
The sterol content and the ratio of desmosterol to cholesterol (D/C ratio) in brains of undernourished and hyperphenylalaninemic rats were measured. Neonatal food restriction resulted in a high D/C ratio, but the total sterol content did not change significantly. Phenylalanine treatment had no appreciable effect on the D/C ratio, but the total sterol content was reduced. The results suggest that neonatal food restriction leads to a block at the desmosterol reductase step, while treatment with phenylalanine inhibits sterol synthesis at a step prior to desmosterol.