ASSIMILATION OF PROTEIN BY YOUNG CHILDREN WITH THE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Abstract

During previous studies¹ on the effects of a varying intake of protein on assimilation of nitrogen by children with the nephrotic syndrome, it was noted in a preliminary study period that apparently more nitrogen was assimilated with a high fat than with a low fat diet, the nitrogen intake remaining constant. Rubner^2a performed experiments indicating that with a constant intake of protein assimilation of nitrogen is promoted by an increase in the fat content of the diet, with an accompanying increase of total calories. Voit^2b showed that during starvation the rate of protein metabolism depends on the amount of fat in the body; with the disappearance of stored fat destruction of protein proceeds at an accelerating pace. In the dog fed meat washed for removal of easily extractable nitrogen, nitrogen equilibrium was established when the nitrogen intake was three and a half times the nitrogen loss during