Practical prospects for the therapeutic use of essential amino acid analogues.
Interest in essential amino acid analogues developed as a means of diverting ammonia nitrogen into protein synthesis in patients with chronic renal failure, urea cycle enzyme defects and hepatic failure. Long-term practical therapeutic value has so far only been proved in children with urea cycle defects. Recent work confirms that the alpha-keto acid of leucine in particular alters protein turnover and may prove of wide practical application to improve nitrogen balance in post-operative patients and others with severe illness.
D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000097:blood; D011182:Postoperative Care; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D000601:Amino Acids, Essential; D001798:Blood Proteins; D014508:Urea; D009584:Nitrogen