Effects of Refeeding with a Protein-Free Diets Supplemented with Various Essential Amino Acids on the Plasma Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Concentration in Fasting Young Chickens

The effect of refeeding with various single essential amino acids on the recovery of plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentration in fasted young chickens was examined. Young chickens (29 days of age) were divided into 15 experimental groups. Chickens in one group were fed on the commercial diet ad libitum for 4 days. The remaining 56 chickens in 14 experimental groups were fasted. After 2 days of fasting, 52 chicks in 13 fasted groups were refed with one of the following experimental diets for 2 days. Eleven experimental diets were protein-free diets supplemented with one of 11 essential amino acids (Arg, Gly, His, Ileu, Leu, Met, Phe, Lys, Thr, Trp, Val). The remaining 2 experimental diets were a protein-free diet containing 11 essential amino acids and a protein-free diet not supplemented with amino acids. Birds in the remaining fasted group continued to be fasted for 2 days. Fasting for 2 days markedly reduced plasma IGF-I concentration. When fasted chickens were refed the protein-free diet containing either Gly alone or all essential amino acids, plasma IGF-I concentration was recovered to the level similar to that of fed chickens. Protein-free diet alone, however, failed to restore the reduced IGF-I concentration in plasma. Body weight loss modulated by feeding with protein-free diets supplemented with various single essential amino acids was associated with changes in plasma IGF-I concentrations. We concluded that body weight loss by feeding with a protein-free diet was lower than that of fasted chickens and that body weight loss associated with the decrease in plasma IGF-I concentration was modulated by feeding with protein-free diets containing various single essential amino acids.