Acetylcholinesterase activity of rat brain and heart in starvation and protein restriction

AChE activity was determined in the brain and heart of normal, acute totally starved, chronically semi-starved and chronically protein restricted groups of adult male rats. Neither acute total starvation nor chronic semi-starvation produced significant changes in AChE activity and protein content of the brain, while AChE activity and protein content in the heart were significantly decreased (P less than 0.01) after semi-starvation. Protein restriction, however, produced a significant decrease in AChE activity and protein content of both brain (P less than 0.01) and heart (P less than 0.001).