[Variations in the plasma concentration of ornithine, citrulline and arginine in acute experimental liver failure]

In pigs with acute hepatic failure, induced by one stage hepatic devascularization, plasma amino acids pattern changes markedly. Besides an increase in aromatic amino acid and a decrease in branched chain amino acid levels, urea cycle amino acids levels change. The content of ornithine and citrulline is enhanced, while arginine level drops down dramatically within six hours after surgery. These observations suggest that an enrichment of the arginine content of amino acids solutions recently proposed for the therapy of the hepatic encephalopathy might be useful.