The effect of surgical trauma on muscle protein turnover in rats. A serious methodological misunderstanding

The reported rates of protein degradation in a recent paper on the effect of surgical trauma on muscle protein turnover [Hoover-Plow & Clifford (1978) Biochem. J. 176, 137--142] have no real meaning because of a serious methodological misunderstanding by the authors. In addition, there are problems involved in the determination of synthesis rates, so that the reported effects of trauma on muscle protein turnover can be discounted.