APStracts 3:0201E, 1996.

Metabolic adaptation to protein restriction in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Hoffer, L. John, Arlene Taveroff, and Alicia Schiffrin. McGill Nutrition and Food Science Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A1 Canada and Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Quebec H3H 1P4 Canada

APStracts 3:0201E, 1996.

Eight normal subjects, 4 subjects with intensively treated insulin -dependent mellitus (IDDM), and 6 subjects with conventionally treated IDDM consumed a test meal of 0.5 g protein and 10 kcal per kg body weight, first, while adapted to a conventional diet high in protein, then again after 5 days of dietary protein restriction. Metabolic N balance (N consumed minus urea production) and net protein utilization were measured over the 9 hours following consumptioof the test meal as was recovery in urea of 15N from a tracer dose of 15N -alanine included in each test meal. After the first test meal N balance and net protein utilization were similar and close to zero for all groups. After the second test meal, N balance and net protein utilization became positive for all groups (P &LT; 0.05) but significantly less so (P &LT; 0.05) for the conventionally treated than the normal and intensively-treated diabetic subjects. 15N recovery in urea was reduced for all groups after the second test meal (P &LT; 0.05) but probably less effectively (P &LT; 0.09) for the conventionally-treated diabetic subjects. Metabolic adaptation to protein restriction may be less effective than normal in conventionally treated IDDM.

Received 1 March 1996; accepted in final form 12 September 1996.
APS Manuscript Number E108-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 5 November 1996