Journal of Nutrition

Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Journal of Nutrition Vol. 108 No. 4 April 1978, pp. 648-657
Copyright © 1978 by American Society for Nutrition
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Brady, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Leveille, G. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Brady, L. J.
Right arrow Articles by Leveille, G. A.

The Effects of Fasting on Body Composition, Glucose Turnover, Enzymes and Metabolites in the Chicken1

Linda J. Brady, Dale R. Romsos, Paul S. Brady, Werner G. Bergen and Gilbert A. Leveille

Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Animal Husbandry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

Chickens (1,200 g) were fasted 1, 4, or 8 days. Significant decreases occurred in total body protein and fat with fasting, with the greatest energy loss from fat. Glucose production determined with either [2-3H] or [6-3H]glucose injected simultaneously with [U-14C]glucose remained constant with fasting at 10 to 13 mg/minute/kg body weight which is much higher than reported for mammals. Blood lactate and giycerol were unchanged with fasting, while pyruvate increased and plateaued. Plasma alanine, serine and glycine levels were extremely high compared to values in fasted mammals. Blood ß-hydroxybutyrate increased dramatically with fasting (350 to 3,500 nm/ml), while acetoacetate remained constant. The hepatic lactate:pyruvate ratio was unchanged with fasting, while the ß-hydroxybutyrate:acetoacetate ratio increased. These ratios have been reported to influence phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and glucose production in mammals. Hepatic and renal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) levels remained constant, while hepatic lactate dehydrogenase increased with fasting. ß-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase levels were very low at all times. The results indicate little glucose sparing adaptation per kg in the fasting chicken.

KEY WORDS: • chicken • enzymes • glucose turnover • metabolites • prolonged fast

1 Supported in part by NIH AM 18957 and GM 01818. DRR is the recipient of Career Development Award KO4 AM 00112. Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Article No. 8224.

Manuscript received 22 August 1977.




Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]