title: Gastrointestinal and cardiac response to refeeding after low-calorie semistarvation.
abstract: A recent development in the treatment of obesity is the widespread use of very-low-calorie diets. This study assessed the response to refeeding (RF) after semistarvation (SS) in a rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (440 g) were semistarved for 21 d, receiving a nutritionally complete defined formula diet at 23% of calories of control (C) rats fed ad libitum, and subsequently refed over 21 d (SS----RF). Organ weight, contents of protein and DNA, and the protein-DNA ratio were determined for the liver, pancreas, small intestine, and heart. Compared with C animals, SS----RF animals showed variable repletion of tissue protein but not of tissue DNA. The higher protein-DNA ratio shown in these organ systems suggests a cellular hypertrophic adaptive response to refeeding. A persistent reduced number of cells in ratio to protein concentration is evident despite refeeding over 21 d. Very-low-calorie diets as well as refeeding influence nitrogen economy of selected organ systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Cantu
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D004068:Digestive System Physiological Phenomena; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D007422:Intestines / Q000032:analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D004247:DNA; D009584:Nitrogen