Urinary protein changes in a rat starvation model

Abstract

Protein has been found in urine in all relevant studies. Why are there proteins in urine? If the protein in urine acts as a nutrient, should all proteins be reabsorbed into the blood during starvation to maintain the homeostasis of the internal environment? Are they toxic? Is there any protein in urine when the animal is starved? If the protein in urine is toxic or is discarded for the regulation of body’s own cellular functions, it still must be released into the urine even when the animal is starved. Does the kidney need protein to maintain urine flow? If the protein is necessary to maintain urine flow, at least some of it should remain in the urine even after starvation. Starvation can lead to different disorders of the body. During the process of starvation, a series of energy metabolism changes leads to a decrease of body weight and changes in the body’s components and the metabolic gene expression profile [1,2]. A short duration of starvation can cause the acceleration of protein metabolism [3] and increases in nitrogen excretion, leucine flux and oxidation [4]. All of the above observations illustrate that the effect of starvation on the body may possibly reflect urinary protein changes.