Control of cell protein catabolism in rat liver. Effects of starvation and administration of cycloheximide

The energy cost of feather replacement is not intrinsically inefficient

Feathers serve a diversity of functions in birds and their continuous use and exposure to the environment requires a scheduled moult to maintain their full functionality. As feathers represent about 25% of a bird’s protein content, moult is expected to impose substantial energy and nutrient demands, but perhaps not to the extent reported. Energy conversion efficiencies for feather formation are among the lowest for any biological structure examined, but this assumes that increases in maintenance energy requirements (minimum resting metabolic rate (RMRmin)) during moult are predominately due to feather synthetic costs. We tested this assumption by comparing the RMRminand protein turnover rates of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)) during peak moult and in a non-moulting cohort before and 12 days after having a similar amount of feathers plucked. Replacement of plucked feathers had no effect on metabolic rate, whereas RMRminwas 28% higher in moulting than in non-moulting House Sparrows. Protein turnover rates were lowest in non-moulting birds, but rate differences between non-moulting and moulting birds were threefold higher than those between non-moulting and plucked House Sparrows. Thus, the energy inefficiencies reported for feather replacement are mainly due to costs associated with coincident processes rather than being a direct cost of feather synthesis per se.

Fasting-induced apoptosis in rat liver is blocked by cycloheximide

The effect of cycloheximide (CH) on the fasting-induced changes of rat liver cell and protein turnover has been investigated. Late starvation phase (3-4-day-fasting period) was characterised by a decrease in liver weight and protein and DNA content. The loss of DNA was not related to liver cell necrosis but due not only to depression of cell proliferation as shown by the drop in the labelling index but also induction of apoptosis. This type of apoptosis was documented by the increase in the apoptotic index (cells labelled by TUNEL) and transglutaminase activity as well as by DNA fragmentation. The liver cells of fasted rats appeared smaller as shown by the higher cell density and DNA/protein ratio than in controls. Females were more resistant to fasting-induced apoptosis than males. A single dose of CH, a drug primary known as inhibitor of protein synthesis, induced or enhanced apoptosis in fed and 2-days fasted male rats, respectively, without any sign of cell necrosis. On the contrary, the administration of repeated doses of CH blocked apoptosis induced by fasting. CH "froze" protein and DNA content as well as apoptotic process at the level of 2 days-fasted rats. While fasting-induced liver protein loss resulted from a marked reduction in protein synthesis with a slight decrease in degradation, repeated treatment with CH virtually blocked protein loss by abolishing protein catabolism. These data suggest a direct relationship between the catabolic side of protein turnover and the apoptotic process.

Tumor growth influences skeletal muscle protein turnover in the pregnant rat

The implantation of a fast growing tumor (the Yoshida AH-130 ascites hepatoma) to mid-pregnant rats resulted in no changes in fetus weight, in spite of an important body weight decrease observed in the mother. Tumor-bearing pregnant rats showed an accelerated muscle protein degradation that resulted in decreases in both gastrocnemius and soleus muscle weight and protein content. Although very slight changes were observed in liver protein turnover after tumor implantation, muscle protein degradation and ubiquitin gene expression were increased (in relation with the non-tumor-bearing pregnant rats) in the first postimplantation period (0-4 d), whereas it remained lower in the second studied period (4-7 d), compensating for the initial differences when the whole period (0-7 d) was considered. Similar results were observed when muscle protein synthesis was studied. On the whole, tumor growth resulted in a slightly decreased protein accumulation rate. The results presented suggest that the implantation of this tumor in the pregnant rat has little or no consequences in fetal growth but results in an important muscle waste in the mother.

Growth and metabolic parameters in pups of undernourished lactating rats

Effects of reduced nutrition during postnatal development were studied by measuring body weight, plasma corticosterone, corticosterone-binding globulin (CBP), and metabolic parameters (plasma glucose and body composition) in preweanling Long Evans rat pups. Control litters consisted of dams that were fed chow ad lib while restricted dams were provided 1/3 the amount of chow given controls (25-30 g/day). At 11 days, body weight of the restricted pups dropped below that of controls. Percent body lipid, plasma corticosterone and glucose of restricted pups were lower than controls. Binding capacity of CBP in controls increased without a change in binding affinity (Kd). By contrast, binding capacity of CBP of restricted pups never matched that of controls but the Kd increased. Nutritional deprivation during lactation affected production of CBP that effectively reduced the biological activity of corticosterone in circulation. Deprived of an effective cellular response to an impoverished supply of food, pups were left with little capacity to manage endogenous fuels during the growth spurt that normally occurs during the suckling period.

Pharmacological interference with tissue hypercatabolism in tumour-bearing rats

Marked loss of body weight and profound waste of both skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue occur in rats into which the ascites hepatoma Yoshida AH-130 has been transplanted, associated with marked perturbations in the hormonal homoeostasis and the presence of circulating tumour necrosis factor and high plasma levels of prostaglandin E2 [Tessitore, Costelli and Baccino (1993) Br. J. Cancer 67, 15-23]. On the basis of previous findings, the present study examined whether the development of cachexia in this model system could be significantly affected by adrenalectomy or by pharmacological treatments that may interfere with proximal or distal mediators of tissue hypercatabolism. In no instance was tumour growth modified. Medroxyprogesterone acetate, an anabolic-hormone-like drug, was completely ineffective. In adrenalectomized animals, although changes such as the elevation of plasma triacylglycerols and corticosterone were corrected, the general course of cachexia was not modified. A partial prevention of muscle waste was observed with acetylsalicylic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or with leupeptin, a proteinase inhibitor. Insulin afforded the most significant preservation of muscle protein and adipose-tissue mass, which were maintained close to control values even 10 days after transplantation. The effects of insulin on gastrocnemius muscle and liver protein content were exerted by slowing down protein turnover, mainly enhancing synthesis. Consistently, the total free amino acid concentration in the gastrocnemius of insulin-treated rats 10 days after tumour transplantation was close to that of controls. Although treatment with insulin decreased plasma corticosterone to normal values, it did not modify the circulating level of tumour necrosis factor. On the whole these data show that it seems possible to prevent, at least in part, the tissue waste that characterizes cancer cachexia by purely pharmacological means.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha mediates changes in tissue protein turnover in a rat cancer cachexia model

Rats bearing the Yoshida AH-130 ascites hepatoma showed enhanced fractional rates of protein degradation in gastrocnemius muscle, heart, and liver, while fractional synthesis rates were similar to those in non-tumor bearing rats. This hypercatabolic pattern was associated with marked perturbations of the hormonal homeostasis and presence of tumor necrosis factor in the circulation. The daily administration of a goat anti-murine TNF IgG to tumor-bearing rats decreased protein degradation rates in skeletal muscle, heart, and liver as compared with tumor-bearing rats receiving a nonimmune goat IgG. The anti-TNF treatment was also effective in attenuating early perturbations in insulin and corticosterone homeostasis. Although these results suggest that tumor necrosis factor plays a significant role in mediating the changes in protein turnover and hormone levels elicited by tumor growth, the inability of such treatment to prevent a reduction in body weight implies that other mediators or tumor-related events were also involved.

Humoral mediation for cachexia in tumour-bearing rats

Early and severe loss of body weight associated with pronounced tissue changes developed in rats transplanted with a fast-growing ascites hepatoma (Yoshida AH-130). The protein content showed an early and marked fall in the skeletal muscle, while in the liver it transiently increased 4 days after implantation then declined to values lower than in control animals. Protein loss in gastrocnemius muscle and liver resulted mainly from enhancement of protein catabolism (Tessitore L. et al., Biochem. J., 241: 153-158, 1987). In contrast to the tumour-bearing rats, in the pair-fed animals the initial body weight was maintained, while the protein mass decreased sharply in the liver and moderately in the gastrocnemius muscle. In host animals total plasma protein decreased during the period of tumour growth, while both triglycerides and total cholesterol markedly increased. Glucose remained unchanged even when overt cachexia had developed. The total free amino acid concentration in the plasma of tumour-bearing rats decreased slightly by day 4 and returned to values close to those of controls in the late stages of tumour growth. By contrast, in the pair-fed controls the plasma levels of triglycerides and particularly of total free amino acids and glucose decreased over the whole experimental period, whereas total protein and cholesterol were unchanged. Marked perturbations in the hormonal homeostasis developed early after tumour transplantation. The plasma levels of glucagon, corticosterone and catecholamines rose sharply, while those of insulin and thyroid hormones decreased. Furthermore, high plasma concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) were observed over the whole experimental period. IL-1-like activity, TNF and PGE2 were released in vitro from AH-130 cells. These data suggest that the systemic effects of AH-130 tumour on the host rat reflected the interplay of a complex network of factors, including classical hormones and cytokines, all of which likely concur in enhancing tissue protein catabolism.

Effects of brief starvation on brain protease activity

Changes in the activity of proteases (cathepsin D and calpains) caused by 48-h food withdrawal were studied in the brain, liver, kidney, spleen, and heart of 3-, 12-, and 24-month-old Fischer rats. Cathepsin D activity was similar in brain, liver, and heart of control animals; in kidney it was 5-fold higher and in spleen about 10-fold higher. With age, activity increased in all organs tested except spleen. Brief starvation caused no change of cathepsin D activity in brain, but caused an increase in liver and a decrease in spleen. Neutral proteolytic activity in control was highest in the pons-medulla-cerebellum fraction of brain, and activity in liver and heart was below that in brain. Activity increased with age in brain and decreased in other organs. Brief starvation in young animals caused an increase in activity in brain, and a decrease in liver and spleen. Isolated calpain II activity was high in control brain. It increased with age in the cerebrum. Brief starvation resulted in a decrease in the brain. The results indicate that the protease content of the brain is altered with age and in malnutrition, with changes not being the same for all proteases, and changes in brain being different from those in other organs.

The effect of protein intake on the potential activity of the lysosomal vacuolar system in the cat

1. Experiments were conducted to examine the relationship between protein intake and protein degradation in the liver of cats. 2. The cats were fed either a low protein/high carbohydrate diet (LP) or a high protein diet devoid of carbohydrate (HP). 3. The potential proteolytic activity of the lysosomal vacuolar system in the liver was assessed by both indirect (osmotic fragility of hepatic lysosomes) and direct (stereological measurement of lysosomal volume) methods. 4. The results from both tests indicated a significantly lower autophagic activity of the lysosomal system in the LP fed animals than in the HP fed cats. 5. This suppression of lysosomal protein degradation may represent an important mechanism for the conservation of proteins by the cat when low protein diets are fed.

Regulation of cell turnover in the livers of tumour-bearing rats: occurrence of apoptosis

Growth of a highly-deviated ascites hepatoma (Yoshida AH-130) in rats caused initial hyperplastic enlargement of the liver, followed by progressive reduction to a size lower than that seen in controls. The time-course of this biphasic change in liver weight roughly corresponded to the exponential and stationary phases of tumour growth. Histologically, scattered small foci of perilobular necrosis were observed during the hyperplastic phase and these were consistently associated with a moderate elevation of glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activity in the blood plasma. By contrast, signs of necrosis were absent and plasma GTP levels had returned to normal during the phase of hepatic involution, which was characterized by enhanced apoptosis, a type of single-cell death known to be involved in the regulation of tissue size under both normal and pathological conditions. Biochemically, alterations in liver protein mass resulted from changed rates of tissue protein degradation. The apoptotic bodies could either be lost from the liver via blood, lymph and bile, or phagocytosed and degraded by adjacent cells. Disposal of the apoptotic bodies is likely to account, at least in part, for the enhanced rates of liver protein turnover that characterize hepatic involution.

Effect of chronic ethanol administration on protein catabolism in rat liver

Hepatic protein catabolism was measured in rats which were pair-fed a liquid diet containing either ethanol or isocaloric maltose-dextrin (control diet). Within 12 days after initiation of pair feeding, the level of total hepatic protein in ethanol-fed rats was 26% higher than that in pair-fed control rats. During this time interval, the catabolic rates of both short-lived [3H]puromycin-labeled proteins and long-lived native [14C]bicarbonate-labeled proteins were measured in the two groups of animals. The degradation rate of short-lived [3H]puromycinyl proteins and peptides was the same in ethanol-fed and pair-fed control rats. However, the overall catabolic rate of long-lived proteins in rats fed the ethanol liquid diet for 2-10 days was 37-40% lower than that in pair-fed controls. This difference in protein turnover was not a general phenomenon, since the time-dependent decay of [14C]proteins in the hepatic microsome fraction of ethanol-fed rats was 33% slower than that in pair-fed controls, but the apparent rate of cytosolic protein catabolism was the same in both groups of animals. The differences in protein turnover did not reflect quantitative changes in lysosomal proteases since the activities of four hepatic lysosomal cathepsins were unaffected by alcohol administration. When rats were subjected to longer periods of pair feeding (16-25 days), the difference in overall hepatic protein catabolism between ethanol-fed rats and their pair-fed controls was considerably attenuated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Regulation of protein turnover versus growth state. Studies on the mechanism(s) of initiation of acidic vacuolar proteolysis in cells of stationary ascites hepatoma

1. After transplantation, the rat AH-130 Yoshida ascites hepatoma enters a phase of exponential (log) growth, followed by a quasi-stationary (sta) state. Combining measurements made in vivo and in vitro, cessation of protein accumulation (growth) in sta phase has previously been shown to result from convergent reduction of protein synthesis and enhancement of protein breakdown [Tessitore, Bonelli, Cecchini, Amenta & Baccino (1987) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 255, 372-384]. 2. One day after labelling in the animal with [3H]leucine, AH-130 cells were processed for short-term assays in vitro to measure rates of endogenous protein breakdown. 3. Exposure of AH-130 cells to inhibitors interfering with different steps of the acidic vacuolar pathway (AVP) showed that: (i) in log tumour cells the AVP was extensively suppressed; (ii) in sta tumour cells virtually all of the proteolytic acceleration was accounted for by activation of the AVP. 4. Treating log tumour cells with glucagon, cyclic AMP, or nutritional deprivation failed to elevate substantially the proteolytic rates. Nor could the elevation in proteolysis be explained by changes in free amino acids, which were more concentrated in the ascitic fluid of sta tumours. 5. The enhanced proteolysis in sta tumour cells was not associated with any increase in the intracellular activity levels of lysosomal cathepsins B, D, H, and L. 6. The above growth-related modulation of protein breakdown in AH-130 cells was probably a reflection of the tumour growth state rather than the direct effect of environmental stimuli.

Regulation of protein turnover versus growth state: ascites hepatoma as a model for studies both in the animal and in vitro

Cell protein turnover states as related to growth phase have been analyzed in a rat ascites hepatoma (Yoshida AH-130), which after transplantation entered a period of exponential growth, followed by a quasi-stationary state. Evaluation of AH-130 cell protein turnover in the animal (slow-turnover protein pool) was combined with rapid assays of proteolytic rates of cells transferred in vitro. Protein accumulation in the exponential phase reflected the balance between sustained synthetic rates and relatively low degradative rates. Cessation of growth resulted from convergent reduction of synthesis (from 3.10 to 1.49%/h) and enhancement of protein breakdown (from 0.61 to 1.43%/h). Endogenous proteolytic rates in vitro were very close to the above degradation rates. As shown by incubation with ammonia or other lysosomal inhibitors, the acidic vacuolar pathway for protein degradation, while totally suppressed in exponential tumor cells, was activated in cells from stationary tumors to such an extent that it fully accounted for the enhanced proteolysis. In contrast, energy metabolism inhibitors were effective on cells in either growth state, the residual ongoing proteolysis being similar in both cells. The possible contribution of cell death to activation of the acidic vacuolar proteolysis in stationary tumors is discussed.

Early development of protein metabolic perturbations in the liver and skeletal muscle of tumour-bearing rats. A model system for cancer cachexia

In rats into which a fast-growing ascites hepatoma (Yoshida AH-130) had been transplanted, tumour growth elicited a marked loss of body weight until the animal's death in about 2 weeks. Overall tissue protein metabolism was simultaneously studied in vivo in the gastrocnemius muscle and liver after labelling with [14C]bicarbonate. Early and progressive atrophy developed in the gastrocnemius muscle, the underlying metabolic imbalance being expressed by an elevation in the apparent protein-degradation rate, with no changes in the apparent synthesis rate. A transient hyperplastic response preceded waste in the liver, both states being associated with alterations in protein-degradation rate: an initial decrease during liver growth, then an acceleration as liver regressed. Protein-synthesis rates, virtually unchanged during liver growth, were elevated in the subsequent phase, although not sufficient to balance the enhanced breakdown. Thus, in the tumour host tissues examined, altered states of protein turnover appeared to result mostly from changes in rates of protein breakdown. In sharp contrast with the negative protein balance in the host, the ascites hepatoma cells had the ability to grow or at least, in advanced stages, to maintain a stationary state.

Cellular distribution of lysosomal hydrolase activities in the regenerating rat liver

Cathepsins B and D, beta-galactosidase, and acid phosphatase activities were found to be decreased in the regenerating rat liver, the reduction being maximal around the peak of hepatocyte mitoses (30 h). To investigate whether these changes could be heterogeneously distributed among hepatic cells, total cell populations from control or two-thirds hepatectomized rat livers were dissociated by the collagenase perfusion technique and analysed by different procedures. Isopycnic centrifugation in a Metrizamide gradient satisfactorily resolved hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells from control animals but was not adequate when applied to 30-h regenerating liver cells. Colchicine treatment of the hepatectomized animals, resulted in substantial accumulation of phase M-hepatocytes. Subpopulations considerably enriched in fast-sedimenting phase M-cells were obtained by sedimentation at 1 g of the total liver cell population, and subsequently analysed by isopycnic equilibration. Phase M-hepatocytes were shown to have markedly reduced levels of beta-galactosidase, acid phosphatase, and cathepsin B activities in comparison, not only with control hepatocytes, but also with those parenchymal cells which were not metaphase-arrested in the same regenerating livers. Therefore, in partially-hepatectomized rats, hepatocytes progressing up to metaphase in the first mitotic cycle exhibited a selective depletion of lysosomal enzyme activities. The mechanism(s) underlying this change remain(s) presently unknown.

Detection of metabolic changes in hepatocytes by quantitative cytochemistry

Studies by means of quantitative histochemistry and cytochemistry have greatly contributed to the knowledge of metabolic changes in liver parenchymal cells. In the present paper recent work along this line is reviewed with emphasis on three topics, polyploidy as a source of metabolic heterogeneity, proteolysis in the regulation of hepatocyte cell mass and ischemic injury of hepatocytes. In all three fields, accuracy and precision of information obtained by quantitative histochemical means has been greatly enhanced by a thorough knowledge of the mechanisms of histochemical reactions obtained by fundamental work on matrix chemistry, and well-considered application of optical measuring tools and conditions of measurement. These are the principles put forward by van Duijn since the pioneer period of histochemistry and to whom this review is dedicated.

Quantitative changes in the lysosomal vacuolar system of rat hepatocytes during short-term starvation. A morphometric analysis with special reference to macro- and microautophagy

Ultrastructural morphometric analysis was used to study time-dependent variations in macro- and microautophagy in rat hepatocytes. Except during periods of short-term starvation for up to 24 h, animals were kept under standardized conditions of food intake. In hepatocytes of meal-fed rats the volume fraction of macroautophagic vacuoles is significantly higher at 23:00 h, i.e., immediately before food intake, compared to 11:00 h, i.e., 12 h following feeding. During fasting, macroautophagy drops to a low level. Microautophagic vacuoles in hepatocytes of meal-fed rats, sacrificed at 11:00 or 23:00 h respectively, do not show any significant quantitative differences. However, during 12 h of starvation, the volume fraction of microautophagic vacuoles rises significantly, whereas the numerical density remains constant. Subsequently, during the second 12-h period of fasting, the volume fraction of microautophagic vacuoles remains unchanged, but the numerical density increases. Over a period of 24 h of starvation the volume fraction of the total lysosomal system does not change significantly, whereas the numerical density rises. The time-dependent changes of the macroautophagic vacuolar system correlate with the circadian, food-related variations in the protein content of individual hepatocytes from meal-fed animals. The increase in volume fraction and thereafter in number of microautophagic vacuoles, as observed during starvation, coincides with a large decrease in protein content of individual hepatocytes.

Naphthol-yellow-S protein content of individual rat hepatocytes as related to food intake and short-term starvation

With regard to the protein content, as analysed cytophotometrically, of hepatocytes from rats kept under a 12L 12D photoperiod (photophase 7:00-19:00), the following facts have been established: 1) Hepatocytes of different classes of ploidy all demonstrate, more or less equally, daily variations in protein content and also its reduction after 24-h fasting. 2) With computer analysis of data obtained at eight time points during a period of 24 h, a sinusoidal curve of the protein content of individual mononuclear tetraploid hepatocytes throughout the day could be demonstrated with a maximum at 6:20 and a minimum at 18:20. 3) Animals, fed with meals via a dispensing machine from 23:00 to 24:00 only, show a similar sinusoidal curve but with higher amplitude, and a virtually identical mean value as those fed ad libitum. The maximum was found at 10:40, revealing a time lag of 12 h after food intake, the minimum at 22:40. 4) Trained animals deprived of food during the standardized feeding time revealed a moderate reduction of their hepatocyte protein content in the first 6 h, then a 6-h period with a steep fall followed by a slower reduction. After 24 h, the mean hepatocyte protein mass had decreased to 72% of that at the commencement of fasting at 23:00.

Inhibitors of protein synthesis also inhibit lysosomal proteolysis. Studies using cystinotic fibroblasts

Cystine depleted cystinotic fibroblasts incubated in cystine-free medium accumulate lysosomal-free cystine from the degradation of cystine-containing intracellular and extracellular proteins. In this report we have used this characteristic of these cells to study lysosomal proteolysis. We find that inhibitors of protein synthesis (cycloheximide, emetine, and puromycin) inhibit cystine accumulation from endogenous proteins and therefore act to inhibit lysosomal proteolysis of these proteins. However, cycloheximide does not inhibit cystine accumulation derived from the degradation of the extracellular disulfide-rich proteins, albumin and RNase, but lysosomal cystine accumulation derived from insulin is inhibited by cycloheximide. We conclude that a rapidly turning over protein may be required for the lysosomal degradation of intracellular and some extracellular proteins.

Control of protein degradation and growth phase in normal and neoplastic cells

Cells have to double their protein mass in order to divide. Whether this is achieved through increased synthesis (PS), decreased degradation (PD), or a combination of both is still debated. Likewise open are other basic questions: whether, beyond differences relating to growth phase (GP) or rate, reduced PD rates are a general characteristic of neoplastic versus normal cells, conferring to them a definite growth advantage; which mechanisms are operating the PD regulation, if any, during GP transitions, and which ones may be defective in neoplastic cells. Growing liver under conditions of regeneration or development is known to achieve a net protein accumulation thanks to increased PS, and particularly, to decreased PD rates, as compared with the adult, steady-state tissue; the level of lysosomal proteinase (LP) activities is reduced; in the regenerating liver this reduction has been located in cycling hepatocytes. AH-130 Yoshida ascites hepatoma cells effect the transition from log to stationary GP by concurrently reducing PS and accelerating PD (slow turnover protein pool); while PD is virtually not affected by lysosomal inhibitors (LI) in growing cells, the extra PD in resting cells is all inhibitable; there is no regulation of LP levels over this GP transition, which is due to depletion of oxygen and nutrients. GP transitions in normal 3T3 cells are also coupled with regulations of both PS and PD, the extra PD in quiescent cells being all suppressible by LI. Quiescence of 3T3 cells, due to depletion of growth factors, is associated with a marked elevation of some LP activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of fasting on the activity and turnover of rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase

Alcohol dehydrogenase activity in rat liver decreased with fasting to about 60% of the fed level, but the specific activities of the enzyme purified from livers of fed and 12- or 48-hr fasted animals were similar, 3.2-3.4 U/mg protein. Therefore, the decrease in enzyme activity with fasting should have resulted from a decrease in the amount of enzyme protein. Accordingly, the turnover of alcohol dehydrogenase was examined in fed and fasted rats. The fractional rate of enzyme synthesis (ks) in fed rats was determined by radioisotopic methods to be 0.13 day-1 and it increased to 0.18 day-1 after a 12- or 48-hr fast. The absolute rate of synthesis (V) and the fractional rate of degradation (kd) were calculated from these ks values and the total enzyme content in livers from animals that were fasted for 8 to 72 hr. After 48-72 hr of fasting, V decreased 16% and kd increased about 20% with respect to the fed values. Together, these changes accounted for the lowered enzyme activity in the fasted state. The rapid decrease in enzyme activity with fasting, t1/2 congruent to 16 hr, was found to be due to a rapid increase in kd from 0.14-0.16 day-1 in fed animals to 0.61 day-1 during the first 8 hr after the initiation of fast. Thereafter, kd decreased steadily to reach 0.18 day-1 after 48-72 hr of fasting.