[Biochemical methods for the determination of a clinical protein catabolism]

1. 20 patients before surgery received enteral nutrition for three days (12 g nitrogen, 1800 Kcal). Nitrogen and urea excretions in urine during the second and third day were determined. Eleven patients had a negative nitrogen balance (-2,7 and -2,4 g/day). In these patients urea production rates were 21,1 and 20,1 g/day. An urea production rate exceeding 15 g urea/day is probable an indication for a protein catabolism. The reason for this catabolic state seems to be a decreased protein utilisation (49 and 47 percent) as the result of a metabolic stress situation. This metabolic stress was determined according the stress index (Bistrian). The patients were in a stress situation comparable to postoperative stress (+3,7 and +3,9). The determination of urea production rate and catabolic index seems a suitable tool for defining a catabolic state. 2. 3-met-histidine excretion in urine were measured in seven patients postoperatively. In different periods saline or aminoacids solutions (5% alanine) were infused. During alanine administration protein (+49%)--and 3-met-histidine excretions (+50%) increased. It is not possible to state a catabolic situation out of the 3-met-histidine excretion, because an increased excretion may result from a stimulated protein synthesis in muscle tissue or from an increased muscleprotein wasting. 3. Free amino acid pools in plasma and muscle tissue were analysed in patients with severe illness of liver and pancreas. The free amino acid pattern differed from healthy volunteers. In patients with liver disease significantly increased concentrations of phenylalanine, tyrosine and methionine were found. In patients with acute pancreatitis highly abnormal pattern of intracellular amino acids occurred with decreased concentrations of glutamine, cysteine, histidine, lysine, arginine and ornithine. The highly significant decreased concentrations of glutamine (p less than 0,01) indicate a catabolic situation of these patients. A quantification of the severity of the catabolic state out of amino acid concentrations is not possible.