Beneficial Effects of Alanyl-glutamine on the Amino Acids and Protein Metabolism in Severe Surgical Stress

Hideaki Saito, Yojiro Hashiguchi, Shuji Naka, Kojiro Kuroiwa, Tsuyoshi Inaba, Tetsuichiro Muto

Department of Surgery, University of Tokyo

We investigated the effects of intravenous infusion of alanylglutamine (Ala-Gln) on the amino acid and protein metabolism in animal models with surgical stress. One-hour Ala-Gln infusion increased hepatic uptake of glutamine (Gln) and alanine (Ala), gut uptake of Gln and lung uptake of Gln and Aln in conscious dogs receiving interleukin-1. Ala-Gln also inhibited release of lactate by muscle in this model. Five-day Ala-Gln supplemented total parenteral nutrition in rat peritonitis model increased the protein synthesis rate of the liver and the muscle more than parenteral nutrition with a standard amino acid solution. In addition, Ala-Gln-supplemented nutrition enhanced the whole-body protein turnover and protein synthesis rate of the intestine more than branched-chain amino acid-enriched nutrition. Moreover, height of the small intestinal mucosa was maintained with Ala-Gln supplementation. These results suggest that Ala-Gln infusion may be beneficial in severe surgical stress.

Key words
alanyl-glutamine, surgical nutrition, amino acid solution

Reprint requests
Hideaki Saito Department of Surgery, University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113 JAPAN

Accepted
December 9, 1992

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