Effect of induced protein malnutrition and subsequent rehabilitation on the biochemical profile of pancreas of rats

A condition of malnutrition was induced in rats during post weaning stage, by feeding rats with diet containing low protein and high carbohydrate viz. diet with 25% protein Group I-control rats]. diet with 9% protein Group II-moderately malnourished] and diet with 6% protein Group III-severely malnourished]. The rats were sacrified on 21st day. 35th day.42nd day and 90th day. As compared to control rats, somatic weight and pancreatic weight of group II rats was 55 to 80% and 50 to 80% while group III rats were only 50 to 70% and 30 to 40%, respectively. A decrease in cell number, as well as, cell size was evident in malnourished rats from their DNA10 to 20% of control] and protein 20 to 70% of control] content.. At adulthood, activity of trypsin declined and was 86 and 64% of controls respectively, in groups II and III, while amylase and lipase activities registered a rise at 35 d followed by a decline there after. Malnourished rats were fed the 25% protein diet for 2 weeks after each period of malnutrition, inorder to see the extent of recovery subsequent to induction of a state of malnutrition. Recovery of somatic weight and weight of the pancreas were maximum when the duration of malnutrition was short i.e. following 35 days, recovery being more in group III than group II. Recovery of DNA and protein content was independent of each other. In malnourished rats trypsin activity increased, amylase activity showed a decline, and lipase activity did not respond to the nutritional rehabilitation.