title: Metabolism of cysteine is modified during the acute phase of sepsis in rats.
abstract: In vivo cysteine metabolism during the inflammatory state has been studied minimally. We investigated cysteine metabolism (i.e. taurine, sulfate and glutathione formation) using a single dose of [35S] cysteine in septic rats that had been injected with live Escherichia coli into the tail vein and in control, pair-fed rats. Cysteine metabolites were separated by ion exchange chromatography, and radioactivity was counted in the different fractions. Radioactivity incorporated in tissue proteins was also measured after protein precipitation. [35S]Sulfate production was significantly lower in septic rats than in pair-fed rats. [35S]Taurine contents were significantly lower only in kidneys, spleen and gastrointestinal tract of septic rats. The higher production of [35S] taurine in the livers (the major site of taurine production) of septic rats could have a protective effect against oxidation. Glutathione concentrations were also significantly greater in liver, spleen, kidneys and gastrocnemius muscle of septic rats, presumably in order to combat oxidative stress induced by sepsis. [35S]Cysteine incorporation in glutathione was significantly higher in spleen and kidneys but not in liver of septic rats compared to pair-fed rats. This could be explained by the fact that, in liver, a greater amount of labeled glutathione had been utilized for host defense, or by a high level in glutathione turnover. Finally, [35S]cysteine incorporation into protein, in septic rats, was significantly greater than in pair-fed rats in spleen, lung and particulary in whole plasma proteins other than albumin, which mainly represent the acute-phase proteins. These data suggest an increased requirement for cysteine during sepsis in rats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme Azoté, INRA Clermont-Ferrand Theix, 63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Malmezat
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breuillé
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pouyet
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Mirand
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Obled
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018805:Sepsis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D013654:Taurine / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D013431:Sulfates; D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D013654:Taurine; D005978:Glutathione; D003545:Cysteine