Dietary nucleotides affect hepatic growth and composition in the weanling mouse.

The effect of dietary nucleotides upon hepatic growth and composition was examined in weanling mice. For 5 weeks, mice were fed either Purina Rat Chow, a nucleotide-free diet (NT-), a nucleotide-free diet supplemented with a mixture of five nucleotides (0.21% w/w), (NT+) or a nucleotide-free diet supplemented with adenosine 5'-monophosphate (0.0425% w/w) (NTA). Hepatic cholesterol and lipid phosphorous were significantly higher, whereas liver weight (expressed as a percentage of body weight), and glycogen were lower in animals fed NT- vs all other groups. NTA-fed animals presented a greater contrast to the NT- group than did animals fed the mixture of nucleotides. Liver fatty acid composition and distribution of phospholipid subclasses were not affected by dietary nucleotide supplementation. Dietary nucleotide supplementation in weanling mice affects hepatic growth and composition; adenosine 5'-monophosphate may play a unique role in these effects.