抄録
The lipid content in the liver of rats which were refed with an arginine-devoid diet was significantly higher than that from an arginine-supplemented diet. The addition of safflower oil, adenine and allopurinol, but not 4-amino-5-imidazolecarboxamide (AICA), to the arginine-devoid diet prevented lipid accumulation in the liver. Serum triglyceride and cholesterol were decreased in rats refed the arginine-devoid diet. The addition of safflower oil, adenine, allopurinol and AICA to the arginine-devoid diet caused triglyceride and cholesterol to increase in the serum. Triglyceride in the serum of rats refed the arginine-devoid diet supplemented with adenine or allopurinol was significantly higher than the corresponding values from the arginine-supplemented diet.
Urinary orotic acid markedly increased when rats were refed the arginine-devoid diet. Theaddition of adenine, allopurinol and AICA, but not of safflower oil, to the arginine-devoid diet caused more excretion of urinary orotic acid than the amount of urinary orotic acid excreted by rats refed the arginine-devoid diet. From these results, adenine and allopurinol had the ability to stimulate the excretion of urinary orotic acid and prevent lipid accumulation in the liver. Safflower oil had no effect on enhancing the excretion of urinary orotic acid but was effective in preventing lipid accumulation in the liver. Therefore, the mechanism of adenine and allopurinol in preventing lipid accumulation in the liver induced by refeeding the arginine-devoid diet might be different fromthat of safflower oil.
AICA was ineffective in preventing lipid accumulation in the liver of rats refed an orotic acid diet.
