The effect of abdominal sepsis and different amino-acid formulations on body composition in the rat Article

Freund, HR, Rowlands, BJ, Popp, MB et al. (1987). The effect of abdominal sepsis and different amino-acid formulations on body composition in the rat . CLINICAL NUTRITION, 6(3), 191-194. 10.1016/0261-5614(87)90056-2

cited authors

  • Freund, HR; Rowlands, BJ; Popp, MB; Enrione, EB; Bjornson, SH; Fischer, JE

authors

abstract

  • We determined the effect of abdominal sepsis and amino-acid formulations differing in their branched chain amino-acid (BCAA) content on body composition in 41 Sprague Dawley rats undergoing jugular vein cannulation and severe abdominal sepsis (intra-abdominal implantation of a capsule containing E. coli, B. thetaiotaomicron and sterile feces) or sham laparotomy. Animals were infused for 48 h with either FreAmine III® (22% BCAA) or FreAmine HBC® (45% BCAA) before sacrifice. All control animals survived. The survival of septic animals was 50% ( 7 14) for those infused with FreAmine III® and 73% ( 11 15) for those infused with FreAmine HBC.® Changes in body weight and liver body weight ratio were similar for all groups. Glucose and insulin levels were significantly elevated only in the septic group infused with FreAmine HBC.® Albumin levels were similarly low in all groups. No significant differences could be detected between the different experimental groups as to the percent of dry weight, percent of fat, or nitrogen content in carcasses of control-injured or septic animals, or animals infused with different amino-acid formulations. Determinations of total body composition are not sensitive enough to characterise sepsis-induced metabolic derangements or to evaluate therapeutic-metabolic manipulations. Previous reports indicated changes in protein synthesis and degradation occurring during injury and sepsis, to result in severe muscle protein catabolism. Among the many objectives for treating sepsis, an attempt should be made to decrease muscle catabolism and its ensuing detrimental effects. In the present study we determined body composition in a severe abdominal sepsis model and examined whether the anti-catabolic properties of the BCAA will manifest in changes of total body composition. Our results point to a similar body weight loss, similar percent of whole body dry matter, fat and nitrogen in both control-injured and septic animals. Furthermore, there were no differences in body composition between the two septic groups infused with different concentrations and amounts of BCAA. © 1987.

publication date

  • January 1, 1987

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 191

end page

  • 194

volume

  • 6

issue

  • 3