title: Pentobarbital improves nitrogen retention in sepsis.
abstract: Pentobarbital therapy has been associated with decreased urinary nitrogen excretion and resting energy expenditure in stressed patients. The metabolic effects of pentobarbital in sepsis were investigated in 29 well-nourished rats who underwent superior vena caval cannulation, cecal ligation, and puncture. Animals were randomly assigned to receive either a continuous infusion of 20 mg/kg/day of pentobarbital combined with parenteral nutrition (n = 13) or parenteral nutrition alone (n = 16). Both groups received isocaloric, isonitrogenous parenteral nutrition postoperatively for 24 hr. Mean nitrogen balance (+/- SEM) was better in the pentobarbital group (+169 +/- 76 mg/kg/day vs -190 +/- 66 mg/kg/day, p less than 0.01). No significant differences between the pentobarbital and control groups were noted for urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion (9 +/- 0.7 micrograms/kg/day vs 11 +/- 0.6 micrograms/kg/day, respectively) or 24 hr survival (77% vs 69%, respectively). Pentobarbital improves nitrogen retention without decreasing urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion in septic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Buzby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D010424:Pentobarbital; D009584:Nitrogen