Growth and liver lipids of casein-fed rats incubated in the presence of glucose and lipid.

The effect of casein that has reacted with glucose and/or lipid on the growth and hepatic lipids of rats was studied. A mixture of casein-ethyl linoleate-glucose was kept at 50 degrees C and RH 80.4% for 14 days and defatted with ethyl ether and acetone. When the casein that had reacted with glucose and lipid was fed at at 10% dietary level for 14 days, the growth of rats was markedly depressed. Not only levels of hepatic lipids but also of plasma lipids were specifically modified. The accumulation of hepatic lipids was primarily due to the increase in triglyceride. When casein was reacted with glucose alone, similar but considerably lesser changes in the growth and liver lipid components were observed. These data indicate that casein characteristically deteriorates with glucose and/or lipid, but the effect of oxidation of the latter is very remarkable.