Effects of cadmium chloride and D-galactosamine on liver nuclear proteins of starved hens.

The effects of short term intraperitoneal administration of cadmium chloride and D-galactosamine on liver nuclear and chromatin levels of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein as well as the gel patterns of nuclear nonhistone proteins were examined in fed and starved chickens. It was shown that starvation, cadmium chloride and galactosamine caused a decrease of RNA and protein content in the liver nuclei and chromatin. Cadmium had no significant effect on the gel patterns of nuclear proteins whilst D-galactosamine and starvation produced quantitative changes of certain bands of nonhistone proteins. Although D-galactosamine caused an increase of the amount of histones among liver nucleoplasmic proteins both in fed and starved birds, cadmium brought about a similar effect in starved hens only.