title: Effects of low protein intake on protein metabolism of Papua New Guinea highlanders studied with [15N]glycine.
abstract: The effects of low protein intake on protein metabolism, including the size of pools and the protein synthesis rates, were studied by use of [15N]glycine in Papua New Guinea highlanders. Studies were made on 9 men between October and December in 1982. In experiment 1, two subjects were given a protein-free diet (PFD) containing 49.1 kcal/kg of energy. In experiment 2, subjects were given a sweet-potato diet (SPD) containing 45.4 kcal/kg of energy and 0.507 g/kg of protein for 8 days, and then were given a low-protein sweet-potato diet (LPSPD) containing 50.0 kcal/kg of energy and 0.265 g/kg of protein. During the SPD period, the sizes of the metabolic and active protein pools (mean +/- SD) were 270 +/- 134 mgN/kg and 362 +/- 107 mgN/kg, respectively, and the rates of active and inactive protein synthesis were 463 +/- 161 mgN/kg/day and 299 +/- 38 mgN/kg/day, respectively. During the LPSPD period, the sizes of the metabolic pool and active protein pool were 131 +/- 64 mgN/kg and 378 +/- 106 mgN/kg, respectively, and the rates of active and inactive protein synthesis were 490 +/- 206 mgN/kg/day and 280 +/- 26 mgN/kg/day, respectively. The protein metabolism in the LPSPD showed no significant difference from the SPD. The results suggest that, when the energy levels were approximately the same, protein metabolism in Papua New Guinea highlanders was maintained in spite of the decrease in protein intake.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of the Science of Living, Osaka City University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rikimaru
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyatani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kajiwara
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Alpers
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Heywood
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koishi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D011506:Proteins; D005998:Glycine