ACTIVITIES OF NA+ K+-ATPASE IN THE LIVER OF NORMAL AND PROTEIN UNDERNOURISHED RATS FED WITH DIET CONTAINING COCONUT OIL

                                          ABBREVIATION

ADP/ATP   Adenosine 5-diphosphate/ Adenosine 5 triphosphate

Na+             Sodium

BSA            Bovine serum albumin

CuSO4              Copper sulphate

EPA            Environmental protection agency

ETC            Electron transport chain

HCN           Hydrogen cyanide

K+                         Potassium

LP               Low protein

Na2CO3           Sodium carbonate

NaOH         Sodium hydroxide

NP              Normal protein

PU              Protein undernutrition

                                                ABSTRACT

The attempt of this study is to investigate the activities of sodium-potassium ATPase in the liver of normal and protein undernourished male weaning rats fed with diets containing coconut oil. Twenty weaning male rats were grouped into four groups， five rats for each. Group A were fed with normal diets， Group B were fed with low protein diets containing 5% casein， Group C were fed with normal diets and coconut oil and Group D were fed with low protein diet and coconut oil. After feeding for a period of six weeks， the rats were sacrificed using cervical dislocation. The liver was harvested and homogenized in iced cold buffer and centrifuged at 4000rpm for 15 minutes. The pellets were discarded and the supernatant was stored.

The result of this study shows that activities of activities of sodium-potassium ATPase in the rat liver were significantly reduced when fed with normal with coconut oil diets compared to normal diets only. However， it was observed that the activities of sodium-potassium ATPase in the rat liver were significantly increased when fed with low protein diets compared to normal diets only. The activities of sodium-potassium ATPase in the rat liver when fed with low protein and coconut oil remain constant against the normal diet， as there was no reaction occurring after a successful evaluation of the results. This result indicates that coconut oil inhibited the activity of sodium-potassium ATPase in the rat liver.

                                            CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                INTRODUCTION

The efficacy of the coconut for many ailments -from the cure of wounds， bums， ulcers， lice infestations to dissolution of kidney stones and treatment of choleraic dysenteries， have been proved in previous studies (Macalalag et al.， 1997). Coconut is an important provider of food， drink and fuel， not to mention its many uses in industry. Hence， it has been called the tree of life. A previous study by (Lim-Sylianco et al.， 1992) demonstrated in animals a powerful protecting effect of coconut oil against six powerful muta-carcinogenic chemicals， (such as benzpyrine， azaserine and nitrosamines). The protection was observed not only when coconut oil was given with the diet for several days before the mutacarcinogen but also when it was given in one bolus or dose with the mutacarcinogen. In both experiments， coconut oil gave a significantly higher protection than soybean oil. In another animal study， evidence for another protectant effect of coconut oil was obtained， i.e. significant prevention against shock in rats injected with E. coli endotoxin (Lim-Navarro et al.， 1994). More than ninety percent of coconut oil consists of saturated fats， along with traces of few unsaturated fatty acids， such as monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Virgin coconut oil is no different from this. Saturated fatty acids: Most of them are medium chain triglycerides， which are supposed to assimilate well in the body’s systems (Macalalag， 1997). Lauric acid is the chief contributor， representing morethan forty percent of the total， followed by capric acid， caprylic acid， myristic acid and palmitic. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (Linoleic acid). Monounsaturated fatty acids (Oleic acid).Poly-phenols (Coconut contains Gallic acid)， which is also known as phenolic acid. These polyphenols are responsible for the fragrance and the taste of coconut oil and Virgin Coconut Oil is rich in these polyphenols (Anzaldo， 1975). Certain derivatives of fatty acid like betaines， ethanolamide， ethoxylates， fatty esters， fatty polysorbates， monoglycerides and polyol esters. Fatty chlorides， fatty alcohol sulphate and fattyalcohol ether sulphate， all of which are derivatives of fatty alcohols (Anzaldo， 1975).

The Na+， K+-ATPase which is sometimes called Na+ pump or Na+-K+ pump， is a transmembrane enzyme acting as an electrogenic ion transporter in the plasma membrane of all mammalian cells (Rakowski et al.， 1989). Each cycle of the Na+， K+-ATPase activity extrudes three Na+ from the cell， moves two K+ into the cell and utilizes one ATP. The primary role of the Na+， K+-ATPase is therefore to maintain high intracellular K+ and low intracellular Na+ (Robinson and Flashner， 1979).

1.1     Aim of Study

This study is aimed at investigating the activities of Na+-K+ ATPase in rat liver of normal and protein undernourished rats fed with diet containing coconut oil.

Objectives

·        To isolate mitochondria and prepare crude homogenate from the liver tissue

·        To compare the effect of normal and protein undernourished rats fed with diet containing coconut oil.