Effect of severity of protein depletion on the subsequent hepatic "catch-up" growth in young adult rats.

It is well knownthat whenyoung protein-depleted rats which have been maintained on a protein-free (PFD) or a low protein diet are refed a diet containing a sufficient amount of protein (a control diet), their body and liver weights increase more rapidly for a while than do those of rats maintained on a control diet throughout, and their growth rates become normal thereafter.1 ~7) To our knowledge, however, there is no study concerning whether the degree of this rapid increase in body and liver weights might be varied by the severity of protein depletion of animals and which protein level in the protein-refeeding diet may be the most effective in producing a maximum increase in body and liver weights. The present experi-