Parenteral nutrition and human gastrointestinal tumor protein metabolism

We determined the tissue free amino acid distribution in human gastrointestinal tumors and the adjacent normal tissue in two groups of patients. The patients were maintained on dietary control for 7--10 days prior to the surgical removal of the tumor. Patients in Group I ate the house diet ad lib. Their nutritional intake was about half their normal requirement. The second group received parenteral nutrition. Both groups were equally malnourished at the beginning of the period of nutritional control. Group I were 88.2 +/- 7.8% of ideal body weight and Group II, 90.6 +/- 13.8% of ideal body weight. The net calorie and nitrogen intake was about double that of Group I. Tissue-free amino acid analyses were done by gas chromatography.

There was a statistically significant increase in the essential amino acids in the tumor tissue relative to the normal tissue in Group II, in contrast to the orally fed Group I where no discernible differences were found.