Effect of fasting on amino acid metabolism by lactating mammary gland: studies in women and rats.

Concentrations of free amino acids were measured in human milk and arterial blood from lactating women after an overnight fast or after a controlled breakfast. The concentrations of many free amino acids in milk (except L-tyrosine, L-aspartate, L-asparagine, L-glutamate and L-glutamine) were lower after an overnight fast than after breakfast. Similarly, the arterial concentrations of amino acids were lower except for L-asparagine, L-alanine, L-tyrosine and L-phenylalanine. Net uptake of amino acids by the mammary gland of the lactating rat was significantly lower after starvation for 6 or 24 h than in the fed state because the arteriovenous differences of amino acids and the blood flow were significantly lowered. Starvation produced a significant decrease of 2-amino-[1-14C]isobutyric acid uptake by isolated acini from lactating rat. These results show that short-term starvation decreases the amino acid supply and transport in mammary gland as well as the free amino acid concentration in milk.