Effects of Chromium(III) Supplementation on Glucose and Amino Acid Metabolism in Rats Fed a Low Protein Diet

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Abstract
The hypothesis that chromium(III) acts as a cofactor for insulin, previously derived from studies of glucose metabolism, was tested by measuring the interaction between these two agents on two parameters of amino acid metabolism. In rats fed a low protein ration (10% soy protein) and given 2 ppm chromium in the drinking water, insulin in vivo stimulated the incorporation of three amino acids into heart protein and cell transport of an amino acid analogue in heart to a greater degree than it did in chromium-deficient controls. The former dietary group also responded to insulin with a more marked hypoglycemia and glycogen formation from glucose. The results demonstrate that the insulin-chromium interaction is not restricted to glucose metabolism.