Protein malnutrition in the rat induced by protein-calorie imbalance

Abstract

1. A study has been made of the effect of feeding growing rats for a long time on a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet given at two different levels of energy. 2. When the proteins of the diet provided o or 5% of the calories the body-weight fell rapidly and fat accumulated in the liver. Addition of carbohydrate (glucose) to the diets increased the amount of fat in the liver. 3. It is suggested that a deficiency of protein retards the synthesis in the liver of lipoproteins required for removal of triglyceride from the liver. Additional carbohydrate diverts amino acids from the amino acid pool to tissues such as muscles, increasing the liver damage.