In the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hammer et al. tested the short term effects of partial and total caloric restriction on plasma, myocardial, and hepatic triglyceride content in 10 lean healthy men. These measurements were performed at baseline, after 3 days of partial starvation (471 kcal/day), and again 3 days after complete starvation (only water was allowed), which followed the 3 day partial starvation. Plasma free fatty acids and myocardial triglyceride levels were found to increase in a dose-dependent manner from baseline to partial starvation and on to complete starvation. As for hepatic triglyceride content, a significant decrease was observed after partial starvation, and complete starvation produced a return to baseline levels. These results suggest that the redistribution of triglycerides after caloric restriction appears to be tissue-specific in lean healthy men.
Documentation centre