Effect of tumor necrosis factor on substrate and amino acid kinetics in conscious dogs

Two groups of conscious dogs were studied using isotopic tracer techniques to test the hypothesis that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) affects glucose production, lipolysis, amino acid, and protein kinetics. [1-13C]leucine, [15N2]urea, [6,6-2H2]glucose, and [2H5]glycerol were infused to determine the leucine, urea, glucose, and lipid kinetics, and NaH14CO3 was infused to determine the rate of CO2 production. In one group, after a 2-h basal period (period 1), recombinant human TNF was infused (prime, 2.5 micrograms/kg; constant, 62.5 ng.kg-1.min-1) for 2 h (period 2; group 1, n = 15). Group 2 received saline rather than TNF in period 2 (n = 3). TNF infusion caused a significant increase in endogenous glucose production, a significant increase in glucose clearance rate, and a decrease in glycerol flux. Although TNF infusion did not change leucine flux, leucine oxidation increased by 49% (P < 0.0001), and nonoxidative leucine disappearance decreased during TNF infusion by 13% (P < 0.0001). TNF infusion also caused a significant increase (18%) in endogenous urea production. TNF significantly increased plasma glucagon concentration. We conclude that TNF causes a shift toward carbohydrate metabolism and stimulates the oxidation of amino acids. Whereas whole body protein breakdown is not affected by TNF, protein synthesis is impaired, leading to an increase in net protein breakdown.