Abstract
GABA at 5%, but not 3%, of a low protein diet depressed food intake and growth of kittens. Adaptation to high protein prevented these effects. When cats adapted to low or high protein were fed a meal containing GABA, plasma GABA concentration after 2 hr was 8-fold higher in the low than in the high protein group; clearance was almost complete within 6 hr. Concentrations of proline, branched-chain, other large neutral and basic (especially ornithine) amino acids increased more when cats were fed a high rather than a low protein meal; glycine decreased. At 6 hr, concentrations had consistently returned to initial levels only in the low protein group. Feeding the high protein diet ad lib increased tissue concentrations of threonine, proline and the branched-chain amino acids. Hepatic or renal GABA-aminotransferase activity was not altered in kittens fed the high protein diet. Kidney activity was 10-fold that of liver, which may contribute to the better tolerance of GABA by cats than by rats.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 301-308 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Physiology and Behavior |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 1984 |
Keywords
- Cats
- Dietary GABA
- Dietary protein
- Food intake
- GABA-aminotransferase
- Growth
- Tissue amino acids
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Neuroscience