Dexamethasone increases the capacity of urea synthesis time dependently and reduces the body weight of rats

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Abstract
ABSTRACT— Rats of 230 g were treated with 0.1 mg of dexamethasone twice daily for 2 days (n = 5) and 14 days (n = 9). Controls received isotonic saline. During the first week of dexamethasone treatment the rats lost weight rapidly (up to 9 g/day). The weight loss diminished during the second week of treatment. The fasting blood insulin concentration increased sevenfold in the dexamethasone‐treated rats. Fasting blood glucagon and glucose concentrations were not different from controls. In the dexamethasone‐treated rats the fasting alpha‐amino‐N concentrations were lower: 4.0±0.3 mmol/l (mean ± SEM) versus 6.8±0.3 mmol/1 in controls. The capacity of Urea‐N Synthesis, determined during alanine loading was: after 2 days of treatment 14.7±1.7 μmol/(min 100 g), after 14 days of treatment 7.9±0.8 μmol/(min 100 g), and in controls 7.5±1.0 μmol/(min 100 g) (mean±SEM). In conclusion, glucocorticoid treatment leads to a transient change in the liver function as to hepatic amino‐N conversion, implying that more amino‐N than normal is eliminated as urea‐N after 2 days of treatment. This may contribute to the early, but not the late body weight loss.