Behavior of urinary nitrogen in obese subjects during starvation
Chiodini, G.; Brezzi, G.; Gambella, G.; Svanoni, F.; Reggiani, E.; Valice, S.; Montefusco, S.; Balestreri, R.
Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 52(20): 1700-1705
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-8771 PMID: 1026240 Document Number: 105690
For 10 to 14 days 12 women and 1 man, 17 to 55, average 35 years old, who had been obese for 7 to 40 years, ate a balanced diet to supply about the basal requirement for energy. For a further 10 to 14 days they fasted but took water to appetite, vitamins and KCl. During both periods the daily urinary excretion of N was measured. During the second period the daily losses of N in faeces and through the skin were assumed to be 0.5 and 0.3 g, respectively. Mean values during the 2nd period were initial weight 89.9 plus or minus 14.0, final weight 82.9 plus or minus 13.3, daily weight loss 0.6 plus or minus 0.1, loss of lean body mass 2.42 plus or minus 0.48 kg, urinary N 70.3 plus or minus 14.7, calculated total N loss 75.7 plus or minus 14.9, total protein loss 473 plus or minus 93 g, energy equivalent of protein lost per day 858 plus or minus 170 kJ and energy equivalent of total protein lost 9506 plus or minus 1867 kJ. The approximate mean, taken from graph, of daily urinary N during the 1st experimental period was 10.8 g. While fasting the approximate mean daily amounts for 12 days decreased from 7.4 to 4.5 g.