Nutritional efficiency of alpha-ketoisocaproate relative to leucine, assessed isotopically

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Am. J. Physiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6335970

Kang, C W; Walser, M

The efficiency of alpha-ketoisocaproate as a dietary substitute for leucine was assessed in rats by two techniques: first, the minimal dose of alpha-ketoisocaproate required, as a supplement to a leucine-free diet, to achieve a growth rate as great as animals receiving leucine was found to be between 2.2 and 4.4 times larger. Therefore the nutritional efficiency of alpha-ketoisocaproate lies between 0.23 and 0.46. Second, alpha-(1- UC)-ketoisocaproate and (TH)leucine were administered orally and the ratio of UC/TH incorporated into the leucine of whole-body protein and fibrin was measured. This ratio, divided by the ratio UC/TH injected, was the same in fibrin as in whole-body protein and averaged 0.39. Thus both techniques yield the same value, within the error of measurement, for the relative nutritional efficiency of alpha-ketoisocaproate. The authors also found that alpha-ketoisocaproate feeding at varying dosage did not alter this ratio in whole-body protein, suggesting that neither wide variations in growth rate nor exposure for 10 days to alpha-ketoisocaproate alters the relative rates of utilization (or oxidation) of alpha-ketoisocaproate vs. leucine.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
• OSTI ID: 6335970
• Journal Information: Am. J. Physiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Physiol.; (United States); ISSN AJPHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
BIOCHEMISTRY
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMISTRY
COAGULANTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIET
DRUGS
FIBRIN
HEMATOLOGIC AGENTS
HEMOSTATICS
ISOTOPE RATIO
KETO ACIDS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LEUCINE
MAMMALS
NUTRITION
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
RATS
RODENTS
SCLEROPROTEINS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES