Interval nitrogen excretion and maintenance nitrogen requirements for parenteral nutrition in primates

This paper discusses a regression technique for determining maintenance nitrogen requirements in well-nourished primates (M fascicularis) on total parenteral nutrition. Animals were administered a continuous glucose infusion, and parenteral nitrogen intake was varied at constant time intervals in a random order (from 0 to 1 g nitrogen/kg/day). Interval nitrogen balance (intake minus urinary nitrogen output) was plotted against interval nitrogen intake. The x-intercept was defined as the maintenance nitrogen requirement. First, 24-h intervals were used at a nonprotein caloric intake of 85 kcal/kg/day (approximately 175% of primate resting energy expenditure) and the nutritional adequacy of the estimated requirement evaluated prospectively. Next, 8-h balance intervals were used and the maintenance nitrogen requirements predicted by this abbreviated technique were compared to those obtained using the longer method. Finally, the short-interval technique was repeated at two other levels of continuous glucose infusion (60 kcal/kg/day and 8 kcal/kg/day) and the effect on predicted nitrogen requirement examined. Maintenance parenteral nitrogen requirements for primates may be determined in 48 h using the abbreviated techniques.