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EFFECT OF EXPOSURE TO LIGHT ON ENZYME ACTIVITIES and TRYPTOPHAN METABOLITES OF THE KYNURENINE PATHWAY IN WISTAR, IN HETEROZYGOUS and HOMOZYGOUS ADULT and NEWBORN GUNN RATS
Author(s) -
Allegri G.,
Costa C.,
Antoni A. De,
Baccichetti F.,
Vanzan S.,
Rubaltelli F. F.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1982.tb02631.x
Subject(s) - kynurenine , tryptophan , medicine , endocrinology , enzyme , kynurenine pathway , excretion , chemistry , metabolism , tryptophan metabolism , intraperitoneal injection , heterozygote advantage , biochemistry , biology , genotype , amino acid , gene
— The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of phototherapy used in the treatment of hyperbilirubinemia in infants, on tryptophan metabolism and on enzyme activities involved along the kynurenine pathway in Wistar, icteric homozygous and nonicteric heterozygous Gunn rats after an intraperitoneal loading of 1.0 g/kg body weight L‐tryptophan before and after exposure to visible light. The total mean 24‐h excretion of the tryptophan metabolites in the groups of the Wistar and heterozygous Gunn rats was higher in females than in males and higher than in homozygous groups before phototherapy. Only after exposure to light did the groups of Wistar and heterozygous Gunn rats of both sexes show a decrease in the total excretion of the metabolites. The activities of tryptophan pyrrolase and kynureninase in liver and kynurenine aminotransferase in liver and kidneys were assayed in each group of rats. Male and female Wistar and heterozygous Gunn rats showed a higher activity of tryptophan pyrrolase than the groups of homozygotes in agreement with the data of the metabolites excreted. No difference in enzyme activities was found between the groups of heterozygous and homozygous neonates before and after phototherapy. Phototherapy did not seem to influence these enzyme activities.