Influence of dietary proteins on cholesterol metabolism and nephrocalcinosis.

This thesis consists of two parts. The first part deals with the effects of type and amount of various animal proteins on plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations in female, weanling rats. The second part focusses on the nephrocalcinogenic effects of dietary proteins in female rats.Chapter 1 presents an overview of published studies on the effects of dietary fish proteins on cholesterol metabolism. Chapter 2 describes the cholesterolemic effects of various dietary fish proteins in comparison with the effects of casein and soybean protein. Chapter 3 reports the hypocholesterolemic effect of whey protein versus casein. In Chapter 4, the cholesterolemic effect of casein versus soybean protein in analbuminemic rats is described.The second part of this thesis attempts to identify the possible mechanisms underlying the different degrees of nephrocalcinosis as induced by type and amount of dietary protein. First, a brief review is given (Chapter 5). Chapter 6 then describes nephrocalcinogenesis in rats fed different amounts and/or types of either soybean protein, casein or cod meal. The anti-nephrocalcinogenic effect of whey protein versus casein is described in Chapter 7. Chapter 8 presents evidence that female analbuminemic rats are less sensitive to dietary-casein-induced nephrocalcinosis than Sprague-Dawley rats