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Urinary Sulfur Excretion and the Nitrogen/Sulfur Balance Ratio Reveal Nonprotein Sulfur Amino Acid Retention in Piglets^1,2

Chunsheng Hou^*,, Linda J. Wykes^* and L. John Hoffer^*,,3

^* School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H9X 3V9 and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3T 1E2

³To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: l.hoffer{at}mcgill.ca

We evaluated the use of urinary sulfur (S) excretion as a measure of sulfur amino acid (SAA) catabolism and the nitrogen/sulfur (N/S) molar balance ratio as an indicator of nonprotein SAA storage in growing piglets. After confirming that an intravenous dose of sulfate is fully recovered in urinary sulfate, we measured urinary S recovery after an intravenous dose of methionine in 6 piglets fed an adequate protein (AP) diet and 6 piglets fed a low protein (LP) diet with normal energy provision. As measured over 48 h, recoveries of the methionine load as urinary total S was 106% in the AP group but only 69% in the LP group (P < 0.05). On the baseline diets the N/S balance ratio in the AP group was 36, whereas that in the LP group was 30 (P < 0.05); immediately after the methionine load, this ratio remained constant in the AP group but decreased further, to 26 (P < 0.05) in the LP group. These results indicate that protein-deficient piglets accumulate relatively more S than N from their diet, and under these conditions a significant portion of the S derived from a methionine load is retained in nonprotein compounds. Urinary S excretion, a simple nontracer measurement, can provide an accurate measure of SAA catabolism, and the N/S balance ratio is a potentially useful indicator of changes in nonprotein SAA stores of growing piglets.

KEY WORDS: • glutathione • methionine • protein restriction • sulfate • taurine

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