Renal haemodynamic responses to a chicken or beef meal in normal individuals

In normal subjects, protein loading with soybean meal does not produce the same renal haemodynamic effects as those observed with a beef meal. The renal responses of an acute protein load in the form of chicken meal is unknown.

To examine whether the renal response to a chicken meal differs from that to beef, we studied the renal function of eight normal healthy volunteers before and after a protein load with each of these meals. In a crossover randomized study, we measured the glomerular filtration rate (GFR; inulin clearance), renal plasma flow (RPF; para-aminohippurate clearance) and, plasma amino acid and glucagon levels. We also determined the amino acid content of a sample of chicken and beef.

GFR and RPF increased significantly 2 h after both the chicken and beef meals (chicken, 98+/-13 vs 119+/-18 and 476+/-123 vs 570+/-99 ml/min/1.73 m2; beef, 107+/-14 vs 122+/-16 and 501+/-118 vs 560+/-97 ml/min/1.73 m2, for GFR and RPF at basal and 2 h respectively, P<0.05). Renal vascular resistance decreased and the filtration fraction remained unchanged after both protein loads. The changes induced by the protein challenges in the plasma amino acid and glucagon levels were not different between the two protein sources. The amino acid contents of chicken and beef samples were similar.

In normal subjects, chicken and beef meals induced a similar degree of hyperfiltration.