Effect of chronic undernutrition on glucuronide and glutathione conjugation in rat liver

Glucuronide and glutathione conjugation reactions were studied in rats with varying degrees of diet restriction over a period of 15 weeks. No significant change in the UDP glucuronyl transferase activity with para-nitrophenol and chloramphenicol was observed under both native state and stimulated conditions. On the other hand, there was a progressive decrease in the glutathione S transferase activity with bromosulphthalein and chlorodinitrobenzene. The decrease in the glutathione S transferase activity was more pronounced with chlorodinitrobenzene and was due more to the diminished apparent Vmax than to any change in the Km values. The results suggest that there might be an overall decrease in the conjugation reactions in food restriction.