Abstract

The effects of protein and/or energy restrictions on the antioxidant capacity and development of liver, spleen and muscle were investigated in kids. Sixty Liuyang Black kids, weaned at 28-day old, were allocated to four treatments: control, either energy or protein restriction, and combined energy and protein restriction. The experimental period consisted of six weeks of nutritional restriction followed with nine weeks of nutritional recovery. On day 42, energy restriction decreased the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in spleen, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mRNA level in muscle and spleen, and the ratio of RNA to DNA in liver (P < 0.05); protein restriction decreased the activity of glutathione reductase (GR) in muscle and liver, the ratio of RNA to DNA in liver, and the N concentration and the ratio of N to DNA in spleen and muscle (P < 0.05); combined restriction of energy and protein decreased the activities of catalase and GR and the ratio of RNA to DNA in muscle, and the activities of SOD, GSH-Px and GR in spleen (P < 0.05). On day 105, there was no difference in the antioxidant parameters among four groups (P > 0.05); however, the weights of liver and spleen in groups of pre-protein restriction and pre-combined restriction of energy and protein were still less than those of kids in control. The results indicate that six weeks of nutritional restriction can reduce the antioxidant capacity of muscle, spleen and liver, retard the development of liver and spleen, and the retarded development partly continues even after nine weeks of nutritional recovery.

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