The Treatment of Obesity by Carbohydrate Deprivation Suppresses Plasma Tryptophan and Its Ratio to Other Large Neutral Amino Acids

Overview

Journal J Neural Transm

Specialties Neurology
Physiology

Date 1983 Jan 1

PMID 6644285

Citations 2

Authors

E Heraief

P Burckhardt

C Mauron

J J Wurtman

R J Wurtman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We measured plasma concentrations of tryptophan (Trp) and the other large neutral amino acids (LNAA) in 6 control and 7 obese subjects before and after they consumed a low-carbohydrate "protein-sparing modified fast" (PSMF) diet; LNAA levels in control subjects were also assessed after supplemental oral Trp. Consumption of the PSMF diet by non-obese subjects, or obesity per se, caused major reductions in the ratio of the plasma Trp concentration to the summed plasma concentrations of the other LNAA (i.e., the "plasma Trp ratio"), and may thus have diminished brain serotonin synthesis. Administration of even 2 g of supplemental Trp did not elevate the plasma Trp ratio beyond the normal range observed previously in subjects consuming carbohydrate-containing meals.

Citing Articles

Effects of leucine supplementation and serum withdrawal on branched-chain amino acid pathway gene and protein expression in mouse adipocytes.

Kitsy A, Carney S, Vivar J, Knight M, Pointer M, Gwathmey J PLoS One. 2014; 9(7):e102615.

PMID: 25050624 PMC: 4106850. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102615.

[Central nervous appetite regulation: mechanisms and significance for the development of obesity].

Lehnert H, Schrezenmeir J, Beyer J Z Ernahrungswiss. 1990; 29(1):2-12.

PMID: 1970699 DOI: 10.1007/BF02019529.

References

Fernstrom J, Arnold M, Wurtman R, MUNRO H, Davidson C . Diurnal variations in plasma insulin concentrations in normal and cirrhotic subjects: effect of dietary protein. J Neural Transm Suppl. 1978; (14):133-42. View

DENCKLA W, Dewey H . The determination of tryptophan in plasma, liver, and urine. J Lab Clin Med. 1967; 69(1):160-9. View

Smith S, Sauder C . Food cravings, depression, and premenstrual problems. Psychosom Med. 1969; 31(4):281-7. DOI: 10.1097/00006842-196907000-00001. View

Wurtman R, Pardridge W . Summary: circulating tryptophan, brain tryptophan, and psychiatric disease. J Neural Transm Suppl. 1979; (15):227-36. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-2243-3_22. View

Madras B, Cohen E, Messing R, MUNRO H, Wurtman R . Relevance of free tryptophan in serum to tissue tryptophan concentrations. Metabolism. 1974; 23(12):1107-16. DOI: 10.1016/0026-0495(74)90027-4. View

Fernstrom J, Wurtman R . Brain serotonin content: increase following ingestion of carbohydrate diet. Science. 1971; 174(4013):1023-5. DOI: 10.1126/science.174.4013.1023. View

Wurtman J, Wurtman R . Fenfluramine and fluoxetine spare protein consumption while suppressing caloric intake by rats. Science. 1977; 198(4322):1178-80. DOI: 10.1126/science.929195. View

Lehmann J . Light--a source of error in the fluorometric determination of tryptophan. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1971; 28(1):49-55. DOI: 10.3109/00365517109090662. View

Baumann P, PEREY M, LAURIAN S, Grasset F, Steck A, Gaillard J . Distribution of tryptophan in erythrocytes, leukocytes and thrombocytes, and its binding to plasma albumin. J Neural Transm Suppl. 1979; (15):165-76. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-2243-3_15. View

10.

Fernstrom J, Wurtman R . Brain serotonin content: physiological regulation by plasma neutral amino acids. Science. 1972; 178(4059):414-6. DOI: 10.1126/science.178.4059.414. View

11.

Flatt J, Blackburn G . The matabolic fuel regulatory system: implications for protein-sparing therapies during caloric deprivation and disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 1974; 27(2):175-87. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/27.2.175. View

12.

Wurtman J, Wurtman R . Drugs that enhance central serotoninergic transmission diminish elective carbohydrate consumption by rats. Life Sci. 1979; 24(10):895-903. DOI: 10.1016/0024-3205(79)90339-4. View

13.

Iselin H, Burckhardt P . Balanced hypocaloric diet versus protein-sparing modified fast in the treatment of obesity: a comparative study. Int J Obes. 1982; 6(2):175-81. View

14.

Fernstrom J, Wurtman R, Rand W, MUNRO H, Davidson C . Diurnal variations in plasma concentrations of tryptophan, tryosine, and other neutral amino acids: effect of dietary protein intake. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979; 32(9):1912-22. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/32.9.1912. View

15.

Herbert V, Lau K, Gottlieb C, Bleicher S . Coated charcoal immunoassay of insulin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1965; 25(10):1375-84. DOI: 10.1210/jcem-25-10-1375. View

16.

Wurtman R, Hefti F, Melamed E . Precursor control of neurotransmitter synthesis. Pharmacol Rev. 1980; 32(4):315-35. View

17.

Fernstrom J, Wurtmen R . Elevation of plasma tryptophan by insulin in rat. Metabolism. 1972; 21(4):337-42. DOI: 10.1016/0026-0495(72)90078-9. View

18.

Wurtman J, Moses P, Wurtman R . Prior carbohydrate consumption affects the amount of carbohydrate that rats choose to eat. J Nutr. 1983; 113(1):70-8. DOI: 10.1093/jn/113.1.70. View

19.

Fuller R, Snoddy H, Hemrick S . Effects of fenfluramine and norfenfluramine on brain serotonin metabolism in rats. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1978; 157(2):202-5. DOI: 10.3181/00379727-157-40021. View