Heitkemper M M, Marotta S F
Nurs Res. 1985 Jan-Feb;34(1):19-23.
Manipulation of diet, by altering the composition or quantity, can produce alterations in the central nervous system as evidenced by changes in memory or behavior. The present study was designed to examine the effects of fasting/starvation or a choline deficient diet on the enzymes that synthesize and degrade acetylcholine and norepinephrine, both neurotransmitters in the gastrointestinal tract. This study was conducted on three groups of male rats: control nontreated, choline deficient diet for 14 days, and fasting/starvation (water only) for 3 days. Enzyme activities were determined throughout the length of the gut. The lack of dietary choline produced a decrease in adrenergic enzyme activity but had little effect on cholinergic enzyme activities. Starvation decreased adrenergic enzyme activities and increased activity of the acetylcholine synthesizing enzyme in most segments of the gastrointestinal tract. Starvation was also a stressor, as evidenced by elevated levels of plasma and adrenal corticosterone. The implication from these experiments is that dietary manipulation may produce functional changes (i.e., motility and secretion) in the gastrointestinal tract as a result of altering neurotransmitter enzyme activities.
通过改变饮食的成分或数量来操控饮食，可导致中枢神经系统发生变化，这可从记忆或行为的改变得到证明。本研究旨在检验禁食/饥饿或胆碱缺乏饮食对合成和降解乙酰胆碱及去甲肾上腺素（这两种均为胃肠道中的神经递质）的酶的影响。本研究以三组雄性大鼠进行：未处理的对照组、接受14天胆碱缺乏饮食的组以及禁食/饥饿（仅饮水）3天的组。在整个肠道长度范围内测定酶活性。饮食中胆碱的缺乏导致肾上腺素能酶活性降低，但对胆碱能酶活性影响不大。饥饿降低了肾上腺素能酶活性，并增加了胃肠道大多数节段中乙酰胆碱合成酶的活性。饥饿也是一种应激源，血浆和肾上腺皮质酮水平升高即证明了这一点。这些实验的意义在于，饮食操控可能会因改变神经递质酶活性而在胃肠道中产生功能变化（即运动性和分泌）。
