IMPAIRED DIETARY-LIPID OXIDATION IN KWASHIORKOR

Energy substrate oxidation studies were performed on 12 kwashiorkor ch ildren and five well-nourished children fed an a standard recovery die t for kwashiorkor. C-13 labeled leucine, Glucose, and hiolein were adm inistered orally on three consecutive days. The recovery of C-13 from the breath air was monitored after administration of each feed. The me an cumulative percent dose (CUMPD) recovery of C-13 seven hours after the ingestion of labeled leucine was 22.0 +/- 1.7% (mean +/- SEM) for the kwashiorkor children as compared to 32.7 +/- 3.7% for the well-nou rished children (p<0.05). The CUMPD recovery of 13C 12 hours after ing estion of labeled glucose was 58.3 +/- 4.7% as compared to 70.2 +/- 6. 0% in the well-nourished children (p<0.05). The CUMPD recovery of C-13 16 hours after the ingestion of labeled hiolein was 4.8 +/- 1.1% for the kwashiorkor children as compared to 19.0 +/- 2.1% for the well-nou rished children (p<0.0001). C-13 recovery following hiolein ingestion was inversely correlated to the weight/expected weight for age and sex ratio (r = -0.93; p< 0.001). It is concluded that the well-nourished children oxidize more exogenous energy substrate than do the kwashiork or children, and that the kwashiorkor children have a grossly impaired capacity to oxidize exogenous lipids. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science.