Increased urinary polyamine excretion after starting a very low calorie diet

Urinary polyamine excretion has been suggested to reflect hypermetabolism or catabolism in different illnesses. In the present study, the excretion of urinary polyamines was examined in 12 obese subjects (3 men, 9 women aged 32-55 y, body mass index 33.3-64.7 kg m-2) before and during a very low calorie diet (the total calorie intake 2100-3350 kJ). In addition, nitrogen balance, basal energy expenditure (BEE) and serum thyroid hormone levels were examined. During the first week on a very low calorie diet (VLCD) the mean body weight declined from 121.8 +/- 27.3 to 117.4 +/- 26.2 kg (mean +/- SD, p < 0.001), and after 12 weeks of treatment body weight was 106.6 +/- 24.6 kg. Immediate reduction of BEE from 1.44 +/- 0.24 to 1.34 +/- 0.24 kcal min-1 (p < 0.001) was found within the first week of therapy and BEE measured on weight-maintaining diet remained lower at 12 weeks (1.25 +/- 0.27 kcal min-1, p < 0.01). Serum free T3 decreased and reverse T3 increased significantly after starting VLCD. Nitrogen balance remained negative during the first 2 weeks on VLCD. A significant increase in total (38%), and in N1-acetyl- and N8-acetylspermidine excretions in the urine (40% and 27%, respectively, p < 0.05) was found during the first week, but later on the levels were not significantly different from the baseline levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)