Fig. 2
Effect of very low protein diets supplemented with limiting and branched-chain amino acids higher than recommended levels on blood metabolites and hormones. (A) plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP), (B) blood urea nitrogen (BUN), (C) plasma calcium (Ca), (D) plasma phosphorus (P), (E) plasma vitamin D3 (VD3) and (F) serum fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23). PC (positive control), standard protein diet; NC (negative control), low protein diet supplemented with limiting amino acids (LAA, i.e., Lys, Met, Thr and Trp); L25, low protein diet supplemented with LAA, 25% more than NRC (2012) requirements; L50: low protein diet supplemented with LAA 50% more than NRC requirements; LB25: low protein diets supplemented with LAA and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA, i.e., Leu, Ile and Val) 25% more than NRC requirements; LB50: low protein diet supplemented with LAA and BCAA 50% more than NRC requirements. a P ≤ 0.05 LB25 vs. PC, b P ≤ 0.05 LB50 vs. PC, c P ≤ 0.05 LB25 vs. NC, d P ≤ 0.05 LB50 vs. NC, e P ≤ 0.05 LB25 vs. L25, f P ≤ 0.05 LB50 vs. L50. @ 0.05 < P ≤ 0.1 LB25 vs. PC, # 0.05 < P ≤ 0.1 LB50 vs. PC, $ 0.05 < P ≤ 0.1 LB25 vs. NC, * 0.05 < P ≤ 0.1 LB25 vs. L25. The values are means ± standard error of the mean, n = 8