Effect of low protein diet on whole body nitrogen metabolism in patients with chronic renal failure
Hou, J.S.; Zuo, J.N.; Zhu, H.W.; Ma, J.M.; Feng, H.F.; Cheng, W.Y.; Zhang, X.Q.; Wu, J.Z.; Wu, J.C.; Zhang, M.W.
Chinese Medical Journal 98(10): 765-770
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0366-6999 PMID: 3938703 Document Number: 252921
15N-glycine was administered orally as a tracer to 3 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) in the study of total body protein metabolism during the course of diet therapy. Five healthy subjects with matched age and sex served as controls. Patients on a diet providing 1.2 g protein/kg per day had significantly low total nitrogen flux (Q), rates of total body protein synthesis (S), catabolism (C) and S/Q, as compared with the controls. A reduction in daily protein intake of 0.6 g/kg per day resulted in marked increase in all these parameters, approaching those of the controls. In normal subjects, low protein intake did not affect the total body protein turnover significantly. The results suggest that the adaptive response to restriction of protein intake is an efficient utilization of nitrogen entering the metabolic pool for anabolic purposes. This response becomes manifest and essential in patients with CRF and forms the basis for low protein diet therapy.