title: Nitrogen excretion in rats on a protein-free diet and during starvation.
abstract: Nitrogen balances (six days) were determined in male Wistar rats during feeding a diet with sufficient protein or a nearly protein-free diet (n = 2 x 24), and then during three days of starvation (n = 2 x 12). The objective was to evaluate the effect of protein withdrawal on minimum nitrogen excretion in urine (UN), corresponding to endogenous UN, during feeding and subsequent starvation periods. The rats fed the protein free-diet had almost the same excretion of urinary N during feeding and starvation (165 and 157 mg/kg W(0.75)), while it was 444 mg/kg W(0.75) in rats previously fed with protein, demonstrating a major influence of protein content in a diet on N excretion during starvation. Consequently, the impact of former protein supply on N losses during starvation ought to be considered when evaluating minimum N requirement necessary to sustain life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. ac@life.ku.dk
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chwalibog
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sawosz
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niemiec
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grodzik
authors.forename: Grete
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thorbek
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004063:Digestion; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013217:Starvation / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen