Protein Synthesis in the Rat

Recent measurements have shown that the rate of protein synthesis in rat liver and small intestine is very rapid. Indeed, each day liver synthesizes an amount equal to its own protein mass, and jejunal mucosa synthesizes an amount equal to 1.4 times its protein mass (McNurlan et al., 1979). These very rapid rates of turnover suggested that these two tissues might constitute a significant component of protein synthesis in the whole body in spite of their relatively small contribution to whole-body protein