The effect of tumour bearing on skeletal muscle glutamine metabolism

1. The effects of tumour bearing on glutamine metabolism in rat skeletal muscle were examined using the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma. 2. There was a rapid and marked decrease in skeletal muscle glutamine content, which was correlated with the size of the tumour, and a decrease in plasma glutamine concentration. 3. The rate of release of glutamine from EDL muscle in vitro was increased in cachectic, tumour bearing animals, but was unaffected from the soleus muscle of the same animals. 4. It is hypothesized that the increase in the rate of muscle glutamine release during cachexia represents a response of this tissue in order to satisfy the demand for glutamine by the tumour or by cells of the immune system.

Polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids-rich diets and immune tissues. 2. Maximal activities of key enzymes of glutaminolysis, glycolysis, pentose-phosphate-pathway and Krebs cycle in thymus, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes

It has been widely reported that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PU-FA n-6) in the diet lead to immunosuppression. In the present study, the activity of key enzymes several metabolic pathways were measured in the immune tissues of rats fed polyunsaturated (UC) or saturated fatty (SC) acids-rich diets. The following enzyme activities were measured: hexokinase, citrate synthase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutaminase and malic enzyme. The metabolism of immune tissues was markedly changed by the fat content of the diet. However, UC diet determined more significant metabolic changes than SC diet.

Polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids-rich diets and immune tissues. 1. Fresh weight, DNA content, percentage of lipids and rate of lipogenesis from 3H2O in thymus, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes

It has been widely reported that polyunsaturated fatty acids-rich diets (PUFA n-6) cause immunodeficiency. In this study, fresh weight, DNA and lipid content and rate of lipogenesis from 3H2O of thymus, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and liver were assessed in rats fed polyunsaturated (UC) or saturated (SC) fatty acids-rich chows. The results obtained indicate that both types of fatty acids caused similar increment of lipid content in the immune tissues. The rate of lipogenesis was decreased only in the thymus of (UC) rats and liver of both experimental groups as compared to control rats. The results of fresh weight and DNA content was decreased only by (UC) diet.

Effects of diet and exercise on the in vivo rates of the triglyceride-fatty acid cycle in adipose tissue and muscle of the rat

The effects of feeding a low-protein diet (5 percent w/w) and daily exercise on the rates of substrate (futile) cycling between triglyceride and fatty acids (TG-FA cycle) were studied in rats in vivo using a radiochemical assay that involves following the incorporation of tritium from 3H-H2O into the fatty acid and glycerol moieties of triglyceride. Sixty-four rats were fed either a purified control diet (COND) consisting of 70 percent carbohydrate, 20 percent protein, 5 percent fat or an experimental low protein (LPD) diet consisting of 80 percent carbohydrate, 5 percent protein and 10 percent fat (w/w) and were either exercised six days weekly or remained sedentary for six weeks. Both LPD and exercise training (EXT) were found to increase significantly the rate of TG-FA substrate cycling above the rates observed in dietary and sedentary control groups. The LPD increased significantly the rate of cycling in interscapular brown adipose (IBAT), while adipose (WAT) and diaphragm muscle. EXT increased the rates of substrate cycling in soleus, heart, and diaphragm muscle and WAT. Rate of cycling in cardiac or skeletal muscle was one-twentieth that found in adipose tissue. There were also sex differences in the rate of substrate cycling. Substrate cycling in soleus and heart muscle of male animals were consistently higher than respective female treatment groups. Sedentary and EXT LPD animals weighed significantly less than but consumed a similar amount of food to the respective COND animals. These data provide the first in vivo evidence that the rate of substrate cycling can be increased by diet or by exercise training. The possible importance of TG-FA and other substrate cycles on efficiency of energy metabolism and etiology of obesity are discussed.

Insulin secretion in Walker 256 tumor cachexia

The effect of cachexia on insulin secretion was examined in adult male rats. Isolated islets of Langerhans from Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats secreted less insulin by glucose stimuli as compared with the control group; this was accompanied by significant change in 45Ca2+ outflow rate. Reduced insulin secretion to glucose stimuli in tumor-bearing rats probably led to low insulinemia (one-third). These findings indicate that reduced insulin secretion is probably an important factor for the development of cachexia in Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats.

Meal-feeding and physical effort. 1. Metabolic changes induced by exercise training

To evaluate the consequences of the combination of meal-feeding (which causes in the long term several adaptations that lead to saving stored energetic substrates), rats subjected to a 2-hr feeding/22-hr fasting schedule were forced to swim 30 min everyday at a fixed hour during four weeks. The results indicate that meal-fed exercised rats: 1) increase food intake above that found in the nonexercising and the corresponding (nonfood-restricted) controls; 2) did not lose weight (in contrast to the controls); 3) initially had a high glycogen mobilization but at the end of the fourth week started to save hepatic glycogen again, despite the intense energy demanding exercise; 4) maintained a slight hyperglycemia; 5) mobilized less free fatty acids than the nonexercising meal-fed rats, probably due to higher insulinemia; 6) had a lower content of ascorbic acid in the adrenal glands in comparison to the control exercising rats; this suggests that the exercise was less stressful in the latter group.

Meal-feeding and physical effort. 2. Metabolic changes induced by an acute exercise

In this study, rats under meal-feeding up to four weeks were submitted to a sudden exercise (swimming) to evaluate the effects of a behavior that requires mobilization of a large amount of energy on some physiological parameters already changed due to the chronic food-restriction. During exercise meal-fed rats: 1) increase the rate of gastric emptying; 2) maintain glycemia more steadily than the controls even during a long-lasting exercise; 3) maintain high liver glycogen concentration and its mobilization starts later on; 4) free fatty acid mobilization is lower than in the controls but during exercise do use much more; 5) keep more glycogen in the muscles (including the heart) than the controls but during the exercise do utilize much more; 6) are slightly less stressful (mainly after a longer exercise) than the controls as suggested by the adrenal ascorbic acid content.

Pyruvate metabolism by lymphocytes: evidence for an additional ketogenic tissue

The rate of utilization of pyruvate (at various concentrations) was measured in lymphocytes prepared from rat mesenteric lymph nodes. The quantitative contribution of pyruvate to CO2, lactate, aspartate, alanine, citrate, acetate, acetyl-CoA and ketone bodies accounted for the pyruvate metabolized. Pyruvate utilization was depressed by increasing concentrations of pyruvate. The maximum catalytic activities and selected intracellular distributions of the following enzymes of pyruvate, citrate and acetyl-CoA metabolism were measured: citrate synthase, ATP-citrate lyase, lactate dehydrogenase, acetyl-CoA hydrolase, acetylcarnitine transferase, NAD+- and NADP+- isocitrate dehydrogenases, HMG-CoA lyase, HMG-CoA synthase, Pyruvate dehydrogenase, acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase, 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase, 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and pyruvate carboxylase. Acetyl-CoA formed from pyruvate did not contribute to the respiratory energy metabolism of resting lymphocytes. Instead acetyl-CoA was converted to acetoacetate by reactions which may favour the pathway catalyzed by acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase and 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase. Acetate, acetyl- and palmitoyl-carnitine inhibited the decarboxylation of [1-14C] pyruvate. These observations may be connected with the suppression of pyruvate utilization by increased pyruvate substrate concentration. Only very small amounts of either pyruvate or acetate were incorporated into lipids in resting lymphocytes. The amounts incorporated were partitioned in approximately the same pattern into FFA, T.G., cholesterol and cholesterol esters. Taken together the data show that pyruvate metabolism is directed inter alia at the formation of acetoacetate which may serve as a lipid synthesis precursor. When pyruvate utilization and metabolism was enhanced by concanavalin A, then acetoacetate formation was not favoured and from this it is proposed that the acetyl units may then be directed into lipid synthesis and may also make a contribution to the energy metabolism of the activated lymphocyte.

Metabolic changes caused by irregular-feeding schedule as compared with meal-feeding

In this study rats eating 50% of the quantity of daily food intake observed for free-fed rats were restricted to regular (MF) and irregular intermeal (IF) intervals. Rats which had free access to food (FF) were also included. The experiments were carried out for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. Body weight, daily food intake, stomach fresh weight, blood glucose and free fatty acids (FFA) levels, liver glycogen content and adrenal ascorbic acid were evaluated. The results showed that adaptative metabolic pattern depends on the discipline of the intermeal intervals. Meal-fed rats with a fixed meal time showed better blood glucose maintenance, slower gastric emptying, increased liver glycogen content and lower FFA mobilization during 22-hr fast than the free-fed group. The same amount of food eating by meal-fed rats given randomly in time (IF) promoted a different adaptative metabolic pattern. The results suggest that the regular intermeal period is an important factor for the establishment of the metabolic changes. Therefore, the meal-feeding schedule has to be considered as a particular modality of food restriction.

Insulin secretion in the isolated islets of single-, regular-fasted and fed rats

To investigate the alterations in insulin secretion induced by habituation to single daily meal, adult rats were trained on a regular-fasting scheme (2-hr feeding/22-hr fasting) for 4 weeks. Insulin secretion induced by nutrient secretagogues (D-glucose and L-leucine) and the rates of 45Ca2+ outflow and 14C-glucose oxidation were studied in isolated islets obtained from these animals and in fed and 22-hr single-fasted rats. As expected, in the 22-hr fasted group, insulin secretion was drastically decreased although not abolished while 45Ca2+ outflow and 14C-glucose oxidation rates were only partially reduced. However, the regular-fasted rats did not secrete insulin in response to the nutrient secretagogues; calcium entry was not detected although a partial reduction in 14C-glucose oxidation rate was observed. These results suggest that regular fasting induces alterations in pancreatic B-cell glycolytic pathways leading to impairment of calcium efflux and insulin secretion. Such impairment is more pronounced than that induced by a single 22-hr fast.

The sensitivity of glycogenolysis to glucagon, epinephrine and cyanide in livers from rats in different metabolic conditions

The action of glucagon, epinephrine and cyanide on hepatic glycogen catabolism in meal-fed rats and the corresponding controls was investigated using the isolated perfused liver. The amounts of glycogen catabolites (glucose, L-lactate and pyruvate) released were correlated with the glycogen content of the livers at the different times after feeding. Irrespective of the metabolic condition, the sensitivity of glycogenolysis to glucagon was roughly proportional to the glycogen content of the livers. However, glycogenolysis in livers from meal-fed rats was less sensitive to epinephrine and cyanide. The difference between meal-fed and controls (ad libitum-fed) was particularly pronounced at 22 hours after feeding. It was concluded that resistance to hepatic glycogen depletion in meal-fed rats during the fasting period may be, partly at least, the consequence of a reduced sensitivity of glycogenolysis to epinephrine and to situations of reduced rates of oxidative phosphorylation.

The effect of adenine nucleotides on the rate and fate of glutamine utilization by incubated mitochondria isolated from rat mesenteric lymph nodes

The rate of glutamine utilization by isolated lymphocyte mitochondria is 21.4 nmol/min per mg protein, of which 72% is converted to glutamate. Addition of ATP, ADP or AMP increased the rate of glutamine utilization by 60%. Evidence is presented that this is due to a stimulation of oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity by ADP: this may account for the stimulation of glutamine utilization by concanavalin A in lymphocyte.

The effect of controlled feeding conditions on the metabolic characteristics of rats

To evaluate the effect of feeding conditions on blood glucose, insulin and free fatty acid concentrations, rats were maintained on a 2-hr feeding/22-hr fasting (regular-fasted) schedule for 4 weeks. The animals were then subjected to glucose or insulin loads immediately prior to the usual meal time. Animals fasted for only 22 hr (single-fasted) just before the experiments, and rats having access to food ad lib were similarly loaded and tested. The results demonstrate that the regular fasting regime induces certain metabolic alterations well described in the literature for the single-fasted-period to become more pronounced, specifically, a reduction in insulin secretion and a probably increase in peripheral responsiveness to this hormone. In addition, glucose loading was more effective in lowering plasma free fatty acid concentration in rats restricted to a regular fasting scheme.

Reversibility of metabolic changes induced by feeding schedule in rats

This study aimed to investigate the effect of free-feeding on rats kept on meal-feeding schedule for a prolonged period. Thus, rats meal-fed for 4 and 20 weeks were given free access to food for subsequent 5 weeks. The metabolic adaptation of higher hepatic glycogen content, low plasma FFA values and sustained glycemia during 22-hr fast, reported for rats subjected to meal-feeding, completely disappeared after free-eating period. The rate of body weight gain increased as a consequence of the free access to food in both groups but the control values (group with food ad lib all the time) were attained only in rats previously submitted to meal-feeding for the shorter period of time (4 weeks). The findings of this study suggest that the recovery of body weight by meal-fed rats, for the control values, seems to depend on the duration of the meal-feeding schedule and the age when it is imposed.

Formation of ketone bodies by resting lymphocytes

1. Both beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase and lyase activities are present in rat mesenteric lymphocytes: all of the synthase and almost all (80%) of the lyase were present in the mitochondrial compartment of the cell. 2. A high rate of acetoacetate formation was observed in mesenteric lymphocytes incubated in vitro for 60 min in the absence of added substrate; addition of pyruvate or glutamine increased the "endogenous" rate of acetoacetate formation by about 30%. 3. The rates of ketone body formation are similar to maximal rates observed for rat liver. 4. It is suggested that the high rate of endogenous acetoacetate production occurs from long chain fatty acids: this suggestion is consistent with the reported high "endogenous" rate of O2 consumption by lymphocytes. 5. Of the pyruvate metabolized via pyruvate dehydrogenase in lymphocytes, ca 50-70% could be accounted for as acetoacetate, acetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate and citrate: the fate of the remainder is not known. 6. There was a high rate of endogenous acetoacetate formation by isolated mitochondria from these cells. 7. The rate was doubled by addition of pyruvate or butyrate; it was trebled by addition of propionate, ADP or carbonyl cyanide trichloro-methoxyphenylhydrazone; but it was decreased by addition of antimycin A or glutamine. 8. It is suggested that the high rates of acetoacetate formation in these cells acts as a dynamic "buffer" system for the acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) concentration: that is, acetyl CoA is always available for fatty acid synthesis, cholesterologenesis, chain extension of fatty acids or acetylation of proteins (e.g. for covalent control of their activity) which will be demanded at different stages of the cell cycle. 9. This is another example of branch-point sensitivity in control in cells with the potential for rapid cell division.

Maximal activities of key enzymes of glutaminolysis, glycolysis, Krebs cycle and pentose-phosphate pathway of several tissues in mature and aged rats

1. The maximum activities of some key enzymes, which provide a quantitative indices of flux through several important pathways have been measured in brain, liver, muscle, white and brown adipose tissue and lymphocytes of mature and aged rats. 2. The results were expressed as mumol/min per g fresh weight and nmol/min per mg protein. 3. On the both basis, as compared to mature rats, hexokinase activity is decreased in brown adipose tissue and increased in soleus muscle. 4. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is decreased in most tissues and increased in brain. 5. Citrate synthase activity, which provides a qualitative index of the Krebs cycle, is decreased in white adipose tissues and lymphocytes. 6. Glutaminase activity is decreased in brain, white and brown adipose tissues but is increased in lymphocytes.

Metabolism of pyruvate by isolated rat mesenteric lymphocytes, lymphocyte mitochondria and isolated mouse macrophages

1. The activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase in rat lymphocytes and mouse macrophages are much lower than those of the key enzymes of glycolysis and glutaminolysis. However, the rates of utilization of pyruvate (at 2 mM), from the incubation medium, are not markedly lower than the rate of utilization of glucose by incubated lymphocytes or that of glutamine by incubated macrophages. This suggests that the low rate of oxidation of pyruvate produced from either glucose or glutamine in these cells is due to the high capacity of lactate dehydrogenase, which competes with pyruvate dehydrogenase for pyruvate. 2. Incubation of either macrophages or lymphocytes with dichloroacetate had no effect on the activity of subsequently isolated pyruvate dehydrogenase; incubation of mitochondria isolated from lymphocytes with dichloroacetate had no effect on the rate of conversion of [1-14C]pyruvate into 14CO2, and the double-reciprocal plot of [1-14C]pyruvate concentration against rate of 14CO2 production was linear. In contrast, ADP or an uncoupling agent increased the rate of 14CO2 production from [1-14C]pyruvate by isolated lymphocyte mitochondria. These data suggest either that pyruvate dehydrogenase is primarily in the a form or that pyruvate dehydrogenase in these cells is not controlled by an interconversion cycle, but by end-product inhibition by NADH and/or acetyl-CoA. 3. The rate of conversion of [3-14C]pyruvate into CO2 was about 15% of that from [1-14C]pyruvate in isolated lymphocytes, but was only 1% in isolated lymphocyte mitochondria. The inhibitor of mitochondrial pyruvate transport, alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate, inhibited both [1-14C]- and [3-14C]-pyruvate conversion into 14CO2 to the same extent, and by more than 80%. 4. Incubations of rat lymphocytes with concanavalin A had no effect on the rate of conversion of [1-14C]pyruvate into 14CO2, but increased the rate of conversion of [3-14C]pyruvate into 14CO2 by about 50%. This suggests that this mitogen causes a stimulation of the activity of pyruvate carboxylase.

Glutamine metabolism in isolated incubated adipocytes of the rat

1. Phosphate-dependent glutaminase activity in the epididymal fat-pad was 15.1 nmol/min per mg of protein. Glutaminase activity demonstrated differences with respect to adipose-tissue sites. Considerable variation was found in different sites of adipose tissue from lean control and Zucker obese animals. 2. Adipocytes incubated in the presence of 2 mM-glutamine utilized glutamine at a rate of 1.8 mumol/h per g dry wt., and glutamate, ammonia, lactate and alanine were produced. Addition of glucose plus insulin increased the rates of glutamine utilization and glutamate, ammonia, lactate and alanine production. Isoprenaline alone or plus glucose further stimulated the rate of glutamine utilization and formation of end products. 3. The rate of incorporation of 14C from glutamine into CO2 was similar to that of glucose, but the rate of incorporation into triacylglycerol was much less. Addition of unlabelled glucose or glucose plus insulin stimulated the rate of incorporation of [14C]glutamine into triacylglycerol, but had no effect on that of 14CO2 formation. Isoprenaline plus glucose increased the rate of incorporation of [14C]glutamine into CO2, but decreased the rate of incorporation into triacylglycerol. 4. In the absence of insulin, the rate of [14C]glutamine incorporation into triacylglycerol was related to the glucose concentration (0-10 mM). However, in the presence of insulin, the rate of incorporation of [14C]glutamine was maximal at 1 mM-glucose.

Maximum activities of some key enzymes of glycolysis, glutaminolysis, Krebs cycle and fatty acid utilization in bovine pulmonary endothelial cells

Despite the importance of endothelial cells little is known about their metabolic fuel requirements. To provide some information in this area, the maximum catalytic activities of key enzymes of important metabolic pathways have been measured in bovine pulmonary endothelial cells. The results suggest that both glucose and glutamine are important fuels for these cells: in addition, the oxidation of fatty acids may also be of quantitative significance. The activity of glutaminase in these cells was about 20-fold higher than that in lymphocyte, a cell which exhibits high rates of glutaminolysis. It is suggested that a high rate of glutamine metabolism by endothelial cells is important not only for energy provision but also for provision of nitrogen for biosynthetic purposes including production of local messengers.

Metabolism of glucose, glutamine, long-chain fatty acids and ketone bodies by murine macrophages

Maximum activities of some key enzymes of metabolism were studied in elicited (inflammatory) macrophages of the mouse and lymph-node lymphocytes of the rat. The activity of hexokinase in the macrophage is very high, as high as that in any other major tissue of the body, and higher than that of phosphorylase or 6-phosphofructokinase, suggesting that glucose is a more important fuel than glycogen and that the pentose phosphate pathway is also important in these cells. The latter suggestion is supported by the high activities of both glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. However, the rate of glucose utilization by 'resting' macrophages incubated in vitro is less than the 10% of the activity of 6-phosphofructokinase: this suggests that the rate of glycolysis is increased dramatically during phagocytosis or increased secretory activity. The macrophages possess higher activities of citrate synthase and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase than do lymphocytes, suggesting that the tricarboxylic acid cycle may be important in energy generation in these cells. The activity of 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase is higher in the macrophage, but that of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase is very much lower than those in the lymphocytes. The activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase is higher in macrophages, suggesting that fatty acids as well as acetoacetate could provide acetyl-CoA as substrate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. No detectable rate of acetoacetate or 3-hydroxybutyrate utilization was observed during incubation of resting macrophages, but that of oleate was 1.0 nmol/h per mg of protein or about 2.2% of the activity of palmitoyltransferase. The activity of glutaminase is about 4-fold higher in macrophages than in lymphocytes, which suggests that the rate of glutamine utilization could be very high. The rate of utilization of glutamine by resting incubated macrophages was similar to that reported for rat lymphocytes, but was considerably lower than the activity of glutaminase.

Activities of some key enzymes of carbohydrate, ketone body, adenosine and glutamine metabolism in liver, and brown and white adipose tissues of the rat

In general, the activities of enzymes in brown adipose tissue (BAT) are more similar to those in white adipose tissue than those in liver. Thus the activities of the glycolytic enzymes hexokinase and 6-phosphofructokinase are high but those of glucose 6-phosphatase and fructose bisphosphatase are non-detectable in the two adipose tissues. The activity of HMG-CoA synthase was non-detectable in BAT indicating that this tissue, unlike liver, cannot produce ketone bodies from fatty acid oxidation but, since the tissue possesses a high activity of HMG-CoA lyase, it might produce ketone bodies from leucine catabolism. The findings suggest that 'metabolically' brown adipose tissue can be classified better as an adipose tissue than as a peripheral liver. A high activity of 3-oxoacid CoA transferase but a non-detectable activity of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase suggests that BAT can utilise acetoacetate but not 3-hydroxybutyrate for heat generation during cold exposure plus starvation.

Intracellular distribution of some enzymes of the glutamine utilisation pathway in rat lymphocytes

In lymphocytes of the rat, pyruvate kinase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and NADP+-linked malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating) are distributed almost exclusively in the cytosol whereas pyruvate carboxylase is distributed almost entirely in the mitochondria. For NAD+-linked malate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase approximately 80% and 40%, respectively, are in the cytosolic compartment. Since glutaminase is present in the mitochondria, glutamine is converted to malate within the mitochondria but further metabolism of the malate is likely to occur in the cytosol. Hence pyruvate produced from this malate, via oxaloacetate and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, may be rapidly converted to lactate, so restricting the entry of pyruvate into the mitochondria and explaining why very little glutamine is completely oxidised in these cells despite a high capacity of the Krebs cycle.

Metabolic changes of twenty weeks food-restriction schedule in rats

In previous studies several metabolic and hormonal adaptations were detected as a consequence of food restriction schedule (single daily meal offered during two hours from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.) imposed for four weeks. During this period, the most prominent metabolic adaptations were: high alimentary efficiency, delayed gastric emptying, high hepatic glycogen concentration during the intermeal periods, glycemic maintenance during 22 hours of intermedal period as were low mobilization of free fatty acids. In the present work these metabolic adaptations were studied for twenty weeks. The results obtained show that the metabolic and hormonal pattern, defined during four weeks of training to such alimentary scheme, was maintained even after the 20th week. Moreover, it was clear that neither did the body weight increase rapidly nor did it reach that of free-fed rats, after adaptation phase, as reported by other authors.

Metabolic performance of free fed rats subjected to prolonged fast as compared to the metabolic pattern in rats under long term food restriction

Glycemia, free fatty acids, insulinemia, hepatic glycogen, adrenal ascorbic acid, the amount of food ingested and of feces eliminated, gastric emptying and body weight were measured in two groups of rats of the same age. The F, free fed group was subjected to fast during 22 hours and then had a final meal for two hours. The R rats, subjected to food restriction from one to four weeks, had also a final two hour meal after the regular period of 22 hours with no access to food, and then both groups were treated equally. Coincidently, gastric emptying was more delayed, liver glycogen concentration was highest and glycemia was better maintained in the R than the F rats, particularly after three and four weeks of training. Probably due to their greater dependence upon the more frequent supply of nutrients, the F group had a larger free fatty acids mobilization during fast. Adrenal hyperactivity was induced in both groups and the amount of food ingested progressively increased in the R group and decreased in the F group. In general the metabolic efficiency tended to converge to a similar order of magnitude in both groups of animals by the end of the third week. A delayed gastric emptying seems to be a major factor in the adaptations to food restriction.