Differential compensatory organ growth in young pigs after short-term rehabilitation from protein deficiency

• Published in: Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 1996, Vol.16 (4), p.627-637
• Main Authors: LU, C. D, SCHOKNECHT, P. A, ELLIS, K. J, SHYPAILO, R, SU, D.-R, POND, W. G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adipose tissues; alimentacion; alimentation; Biological and medical sciences; blood plasma; blood proteins; bone formation; calcio; calcium; carence proteique; cerdo; chlorides; chlorure; cloruros; coeur; corazon; deficiencia de proteinas; diet; dieta; estomac; estomago; experimentacion; experimentation; feeding; foie; formacion osea; formation des os; fosforo; heart; higado; intestin; intestines; intestinos; kidneys; lipoproteinas; lipoproteine; lipoproteins; liver; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); peso; phosphore; phosphorus; plasma sanguin; plasma sanguineo; poids; porcin; potasio; potassium; protein deficiencies; proteinas; proteinas sanguineas; proteine; proteine sanguine; proteins; regime alimentaire; rein; rinones; sodio; sodium; stomach; swine; tejido adiposo; tissu adipeux; weight
• ISSN: 0271-5317; 1879-0739
• DOI: 10.1016/0271-5317(96)00040-1

Our objective was to determine the changes in body composition and organ mass in response to severe dietary protein restriction and short-term rehabilitation. Six-week-old pigs were fed ad libitum either a nutritionally adequate (A, 21% protein, n=4) or a protein-deficient (D, 5 % protein, n=4) diet for 8 week, then all pigs were fed the adequate diet for 5 week. Body weight remained less after the 5 week repletion period in D pigs than in A pigs; relative weights of cerebrum, heart, small intestine, and large intestine, but not of stomach, liver, kidneys or spleen, were greater in D than in A pigs. Plasma total protein, albumin, Ca, and inorganic P were depressed and plasma HDL-cholesterol and K were elevated by protein depletion, but restored to normal levels after 5 week of repletion. Percentage of body fat was greater and that of non-osseous lean was less in D pigs after 8 week of depletion than in A pigs (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, DXA), but values for D pigs after 5 week of repletion were similar to those of A pigs; whole body chemical analysis after repletion corroborated the terminal DXA data. Our results suggest that changes in body composition induced by 8 week of severe protein restriction are restored after 5 week of rehabilitation to values similar to those of age-matched, adequately fed pigs, and that non-allometric growth of selected organs occurs during repletion as a compensatory response in young, growing animals.