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1 Antipyrine clearance has been measured from serial saliva samples in 36 healthy adult IndoPakistani immigrants to Britain, to assess the effect of dietary differences within this population. 2 Clearance (mean + s.e. mean) was significantly slower in 16 lactovegetarians (0.54 + 0.06 ml min-m kg-') than in the subjects who ate meat regularly (0.91 + 0.07 ml min-m kg-1). 3 The absence of meat from the diet was associated with a significantly smaller daily intake of dietary protein, which was abnormally low by Western standards. 4 It is likely that the contrast in daily protein intake between the dietary subgroups was largely responsible for the differences observed in antipyrine clearance.

substrates are metabolised to more than one oxidative product, possibly by different forms of cytochrome P-450, it is necessary to determine the rate of production of specific metabolites. We now report results of studies with two such substrates, amylobarbitone and antipyrine.A group of 14 healthy normal volunteers (10 M, 4 F; 21-37 Antipyrine clearance was measured in 36 healthy adult Asian volunteers (22 men), using saliva samples taken over 32 h (Fraser, Mucklow, Murray & Davies, 1976). A detailed dietary assessment and a history of tobacco and alcohol usage were obtained from each subject. None had any abnormality of haemoglobin, plasma protein, serum bilirubin, aspartate -Aransaminase, or alkaline phosphatase concentrations. Seven subjects drank alcohol (weekly consumption 12-144 g and six smoked. Sixteen subjects were lactovegetarian (daily total protein 51.9 ± 4.5 g) while the remainder ate meat regularly (daily total protein 77.8 + 3.7 g, P <0.001). The total daily intake of calories, carbohydrate and fat did not differ significantly between the two groups.Antipyrine clearance was significantly faster (P <0.001) in meat-eaters (0.91 + 0.07 ml min-I kg-1) than in lactovegetarians (0.54 + 0.06 ml min-' kg-1). Linear regression analysis of antipyrine clearance upon individual dietary constituents revealed significant correlations (P<0.001) with total fat (r=0.62) and total protein (r=0.55). The correlation with total fat intake remained significant when the antipyrine clearances of the lactovegetarians (r= 0.70, P < 0.001) and meat-eaters (r=0.42, P<0.05) were analysed separately. Bivariate regression analysis showed that total protein made no significant independent contribution to the variance in antipyrine clearance, 37% of which could be explained by variation in total fat intake. Moreover, the contribution made by total fat appeared to relate primarily to the daily intake of fat from animal sources, since fat from vegetable sources made no significant independent contribution to the variance. Thus, although antipyrine clearance differs significantly between lactovegetarians and meateaters, this appears to be related to differences in consumption of animal fat rather than of protein.

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