Growth and metabolism of gastrointestinal and skeletal muscle tissues in protein-malnourished neonatal pigs.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Animal research (neonatal pig model)
PubMed 8024022 · doi:10.1152/ajpregu.1994.266.6.R1736
What was done
Neonatal pigs were fed isocaloric diets containing either 30% protein (control) or 15% protein (low protein) for 14 days. Researchers measured gastrointestinal, liver, and carcass tissue masses along with in vivo portal-drained visceral blood flow, oxygen consumption, and net glucose and amino acid fluxes.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values. Relative protein mass, fasting blood flow, and oxygen consumption of portal-drained visceral tissues were not different between groups. Pigs fed the low-protein diet had lower relative liver and carcass protein masses, lower net essential amino acid absorption, and reduced post-feeding insulin concentrations.
Why it matters
The findings demonstrate a physiological adaptation in neonates to preserve gastrointestinal growth and function during protein malnutrition at the expense of skeletal muscle accretion.
Limits
The abstract does not report sample sizes, quantitative values, or variance metrics. The findings are derived from a short-term animal model and may not directly translate to human clinical malnutrition.
Cited by
- supports When intake of amino acids is deficient, the body prioritizes distributing amino acids to vital organs before skeletal muscle or hair.