Some Factors Affecting Nitrogen Balance in the Adult Rat

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Abstract
The negative nitrogen balances of adult protein-depleted or undepleted rats fed rations containing low levels of amino acids (14.4 to 14.7 mg essential amino acid nitrogen per day) with sucrose as the carbohydrate were not significantly improved when the total nitrogen intake was increased by the addition of two levels of diammonium citrate. The negative nitrogen balances were significantly improved when the essential amino acid nitrogen intake was increased to 24.7 and 25.1 mg per day. Nitrogen losses of protein-depleted animals were less than those of undepleted animals at the same levels of total and essential amino acid nitrogen intake. When corn dextrin was substituted for sucrose in the rations, the animals achieved nitrogen equilibrium at levels of essential amino acid intake which resulted in large negative balances with the rations containing sucrose. The beneficial effects of feeding corn dextrin appeared to be due to the change in the carbohydrate and not to a gradual lowering of the negative nitrogen balances when animals received rations containing low levels of amino acids and sucrose for several weeks. Feeding 1% sulfasuxidine with corn dextrin brought about an additional improvement in the balances. When potato dextrin was substituted for sucrose there was a small but significant improvement in the nitrogen balances at the lower levels of amino acid intake but no difference at the higher levels.