Enteral nutrition with structured lipid: effect on protein metabolism in thermal injury

The effect of total enteral nutrition with structured and conventional lipids on protein and energy metabolism was assessed in gastrostomy-fed burned rats (30% body surface area) by measuring nitrogen balance, serum albumin, energy expenditure, and rectus muscle and liver fractional synthetic rates of protein (FSRs). Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200 +/- 10 g received isovolemic diets that provided 50 kcal/d, 2 g/d amino acids, and 40% nonprotein calories as lipid for 3 d. The lipid source was either long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), structured lipid (SL), or a physical mix (PM) of the oils used in SL. Burned rats enterally fed either SL (p less than 0.01) or PM (p less than 0.05) yielded significantly higher daily and cumulative nitrogen balances and rectus muscle and liver FSRs than those fed either LCTs or MCTs. Rats fed SL or MCTs maintained higher serum albumin concentrations than rats fed either PM or LCTs. This study shows that the enteral administration of a mixed fuel system containing SL or its PM improves protein anabolism and attenuates net protein catabolism after thermal injury.