title: Nutritional and clinical evaluation of a modified soy protein with covalently bound branched-chain amino acids in cirrhotic sprague-dawley rats.
abstract: Several studies suggested that branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) improve plasma amino acid imbalance as well as protein metabolism in patients with cirrhosis. However, commercial formulas supplemented with free BCAA have their limitations. We evaluated a modified soy protein diet with covalently bound BCAA (diet M) by comparing it with diets based on casein (diet C) or Hepatic Aid II (diet H; commercial formula) as protein sources. After 3 weeks of bile duct obstruction, 24 Sprague-Dawley rats divided into three groups received diets with 9% (w/w) protein/amino acids for 7 days. Nutritional and clinical parameters were determined. Nitrogen balance and weight gain (g)/protein intake (g) with diet M (0.19 +/- 0.31 and 1.33 +/- 1.43 g, respectively) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than with diet H (-0.34 +/- 0.20 and -0.34 +/- 1.11 g), but comparable to those with diet C (0.04 +/- 0.38 and 0.20 +/- 0.93 g). Animals on diet M had a significantly (p < 0.05) increased plasma BCAA:aromatic amino acid ratio (1.8 +/- 0.3) as compared with those on diets H (1.3 +/- 0.1) and C (0.8 +/- 0.0). There were no significant differences in organ weight or liver function among the groups. We conclude that the BCAA-modified protein is an attractive option in the nutritional support of patients having cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kondrup
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: López-Cervantes
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Calderón de la Barca
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D009753:Nutritive Value; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen