Fig. 5

Effect of very low protein diets supplemented with limiting and branched-chain amino acids higher than recommended levels on protein abundance of markers associated with Ca/P absorption in jejunum. (A) Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger 3 (NHE3), (B) claudin-1 (CLDN-1), (C) cytochrome P450 family 27 subfamily B member 1 (CYP27B1), (D) vitamin D receptor (VDR). 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. ^b P ≤ 0.05 LB50 vs. PC, ^@ 0.05 < P ≤ 0.1 LB25 vs. PC, ^& 0.05 < P ≤ 0.1 LB50 vs. NC. The values are means ± standard error of the mean, n = 8