Nitrogen metabolism in obesity induced by monosodium-L-glutamate in rats

We have studied the effects of subcutaneous administration of monosodium-L-glutamate (MSG) to neonatal rats on nitrogen metabolism and on general parameters at several intervals after MSG treatment. As MSG-treated rats were hypophagic, all experiments were performed both in control rats pair-fed with the MSG-treated rats and in control rats fed ad libitum. Lee index, total serum lipids and weight of the epididymal fat depots were higher in MSG-treated rats. Body and tissue weights and the amount of protein in several tissues were lower in adult MSG-obese rats than in control rats. Locomotor activity was decreased following MSG administration. Creatinine clearance was diminished by about 50% in rats treated with MSG. Urinary nitrogen and urea excretion were lower, except at four weeks, and serum urea was higher in MSG-obese rats. Considering liver size, urea synthesis by isolated hepatocytes and urea cycle enzyme activities were increased in weanling MSG obese rats and diminished in adult MSG-obese rats when compared with ad libitum controls but were not changed compared with their pair-fed controls. It is concluded that administration of monosodium-L-glutamate shortly after birth induced an increase in urea synthesis in weanling rats that was followed by a reduction in the amount of tissue proteins, suggesting that more amino acids were used for lipid synthesis and urea production in treated rats. The accelerated amino acid degradation slowed down in adult MSG-obese rats which showed an in vitro capacity to synthesise urea similar to that of their pair-fed controls.