Effects of nutrition on plasma, liver and muscle amino acids in scalded rats.

ABSTRACT

This study set out to investigate the effect of three different parenterally administered diets on the free amino acid (AA) levels in the plasma, muscle, and liver of scalded rats. Diet I consisted of AA (1.4 g/100 g weight) and a high glucose dose (6 g/100 g weight), diet II consisted of AA and a low glucose dose (1.4 g/100 g weight) and in diet III only a low glucose dose was infused. Parenteral nutrition was started on the 3rd day posttraumatically. Sampling was performed on the 7th day posttraumatically. Nitrogen balances were significantly different in all three groups, being lowest in group III. Scalded rats fed isonitrogenously, but with different amounts of glucose showed only minor changes in AA concentrations. However scalded rats fed with a nitrogen-free diet exhibited significantly reduced total muscle and liver AA levels. These decreased AA levels were due to a drop of glycine in the muscle tissue (74%) and liver (49%). Contrary to the clinical catabolic situation in scalded and starved rats, it was not intracellular glutamine but glycine which was considerably influenced by catabolism and starvation.