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High protein and branched‐chain amino acid diet alleviates intestinal tract and kidney atrophy during energy restriction in rats
Author(s) -
Okamura Koji,
Tai Shinji,
Hamada Koichiro,
Sakurai Masao
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a330
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , creatinine , small intestine , urinary system , excretion , urea , kidney , stomach , biology , chemistry , biochemistry
The effect of consuming a high protein or a high branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) diet during energy restriction on body composition was studied in rats. Rats were given a control diet (C, AIN‐93G, n = 5), a high protein diet (HP, protein 30% w/w, n = 5) or a high BCAA diet (HB, 10% of protein of HP was replaced by BCAA, n = 5) for 16 days of energy restriction period during which the rats reduced body weight by 4%. All rats performed climbing exercise in a 1 m tall wire mesh cage for 20 min x 3 sets/day, 6 days a week. After 16 days the body weight was comparable in the groups (C 433g (SD 12), HP 437 g (23), HB 438 g (26)). The digestive tract weight (sum of the stomach, small intestine and large intestine) was higher in HB than in C (P < 0.05), while HP did not differ significantly from HB and C (C 6.63 g (0.34), HP 7.18 (0.51), HB 7.88 (0.83)). The kidney weight was higher in both HP and HB than in C (C 2.63 g (0.24), HP 2.92 (0.22), HB 2.97 (0.14), P< 0.05). Other tissue weight such as skeletal muscle did not differ among the 3 groups. Urinary urea excretion in the last 3 days during energy restriction was HP > HB > C (P < 0.05), whereas urinary excretion of creatinine and total protein, and creatinine clearance did not differ. Also the plasma creatinine and urea concentration showed no difference. These results indicate that HP and HB alleviates digestive tract atrophy occurred during energy restriction and HB may be more effective than HP. As the kidney weight in HP and HB of this study was similar to that of this age and renal function of these groups was normal, HP and HB appears to alleviate kidney atrophy induced by energy restriction, as well.