Nutritional manipulations and tumor growth. II. The effects of intravenous feeding.

The effects of acute parenteral nutritional manipulations on tumor and carcass growth were examined in the rat. Carcass mass was maintained in animals fed diets either orally or intravenously. Reduction in liver incorporation of tritiated methyl thymidine and increases in liver fat content in the total parenteral nutrition groups indicated that the high carbohydrate, high nitrogen, intravenous diet was less than optimal. Tumor growth as measured by changes in volume, weight, DNA content, or nitrogen content was unaffected by the various nutritional regimens. Tumor dpm/microgram DNA was reduced by those intravenous regimens that were associated with hyperglycemia. Host carcass weight, can be maintained with intravenous nutrition, but normal growth is not restored by the current intravenous regimens.