The effect of 5 days' complete fasting on the activity of 7 enzymes of energy supplying metabolism was studied in the vastus lateralis muscles of 9 healthy male volunteers. There was a significant decrease of lactate dehydrogenase (by 66%), triosephosphate dehydrogenase (by 61%), malate:NAD dehydrogenase (by 48%), hexokinase (by 40%), 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (by 40%),… Read More

The effect of five weeks fasting on body weight, lean body mass and fat weight was studied in 14 obese subjects (BW 92-200 kg, Broca's index 1.3-2.4). Before and after treatment the patients were hospitalized and put on a standardized weight maintaining diet, and variables reflecting thyroid function were compared before and after weight reduction. There was a… Read More

1. The blood concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate and alanine were measured before and after they were separately injected into obese patients who were taking a 1.68 MJ (400 kcal) diet and again when they had starved for 4 days and 28 days. 2. The disappearance of the injected metabolite was exponential and its half-life and volume of distribution were calculated. 3. The… Read More

The facilitation of glucose disposal (Staub-Traugott effect) and potentiation of serum insulin (IRI) concentration normally occurring after closely spaced intravenous glucose loads, are known to disappear after prolonged starvation. To study the effects of minimal amounts of glucose during fasting upon the insulin response and disposal of repeated intravenous glucose tolerance tests, obese… Read More

To assess the influence of fasting on the lipolytic effect of catecholamines in vivo noradrenaline (NA) was infused to 15 obese subjects before and after 7 days of fasting. The infusion of 7.5 microgram/min NA for 10 min was associated with a greater lipolytic response during than before fasting, as judged from changes in the plasma FFA and glycerol levels. The hemodynamic effects of NA were… Read More

To investigate reproductive function during fasting, six men 20-74% over ideal body weight completed an 18-day study consisting of a 3-day control period, a 10-day total fast, and a 5-day refeeding period. All men lost at least 4.1% of total weight and demonstrated ketonemia and ketonuria. The FSH response to LRH (0.2 microgram/min for 4 h) stimulation was significantly lower… Read More

A comparison of the metabolic and gastroentero-pancreatic hormonal responses of ten obese and eight lean subjects to 12 h and 36 h fasts has been made. Each subject was given a 50 g oral glucose tolerance test at the end of both 12 h and 36 h starvation. After the 12 h fast blood glucose and 3-hydroxybuty-rate were similar in each group but blood glycerol was 30% higher in the obese subjects.… Read More

Isotonic glucose is often the sole nutrient provided to hospitalized patients with varying degrees of protein calorie malnutrition. To study the effects of such diets uncomplicated by illness, normal human subjects were fasted (6 to 14 days) before receiving an infusion of 5% dextrose (5 to 7 days). Norepinephrine excretion rose steadily-to… Read More