[Amino acid metabolism in liver cirrhosis]

In patients with liver cirrhosis the fasting plasma alpha-amino nitrogen concentration is high as the rule, due to reduced clearance of total alpha-amino nitrogen. The urea cycle is diminished of its capacity in cirrhotic patients than in the control subject, and to compensate for this, the extrahepatic glutamine cycle capacity is enlarged in the patients. The following important topics were taken up in this mini review: some problems concerning Fischer ratio, amino acids metabolism and pH regulation in the liver, and the supplementation therapy with branched chain amino acids under the condition of organ relationship.