RESPONSES OFF THE RAT'S LIVER AND SERUM GLUTAMATE AND ISOC1TRATE .DEHYDROGENASES AND ORNITHINE CARBOMYL- TRANSFERASE TO A HAEMAGGLUTININ FROM LIMA BEAN (Phaseolus lunatus Linn.)

Abstract

The responses of liver and serum gluta­mate dehydrogenase (CDII; EC 1.4.1.2.), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH; EC 1.1. 1.42) and the urea cycle enzyme, ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCT; EC 2. 1.3.3) to dietary lima bean haemagglutinin (lectin) were assessed using a total of S4 growing rats. The GDH and ICDH activities in the liver were highly significantly (P < 0.001) eleva­ted by dietary haemagglutinin. The activi­ties correlated significantly (P < 0.01) with the haemagglutinin levels in a positive quadratic fashion as judged by their res­pective R², coefficient of multiple deter­mination of 0.91 and 0.95. Liver OCT activity was significantly (P < 0.05) depresse­ed but correlated poorly with haemagglu­tinin levels. Activities of the serum dehydrogenases were significantly (P < 0.05) altered by dietary haemagglutinin. Although serum OCT activity tended to increase, such increases were however not significant. Serum GDH and ICDH values correlated significantly (P < 01.05) with haemagglutinin levels with respective R² values of 0.71 and 0.67. The veterinary implication is highlighted and some remedies suggested.