Effects on skeletal muscle of intravenous glutamine supplementation to ICU patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of four doses of intravenous glutamine supplementation on skeletal muscle metabolism.


METHODS
A prospective, blinded, randomized study.


METHODS
The general Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a university hospital.


METHODS
ICU patients with multiple organ failure (n=40), who were expected to stay in the unit for more than five days.


METHODS
Patients received 0, 0.28, 0.57 or 0.86 g of glutamine per kg bodyweight per day intravenously for five days as part of an isocaloric, isonitrogenous and isovolumetric diet.


RESULTS
Plasma glutamine concentration responded to glutamine supplementation with normalization of plasma levels in a dose-dependent way, while free muscle glutamine concentration, as well as muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein content, did not change significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravenous glutamine supplementation to ICU patients for a period of five days resulted in normalization of plasma glutamine concentrations in a dose-dependent way whereas muscle glutamine concentrations were unaffected.
Tjäder
Inga
I
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Clinical Metabolic Research Center, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. inga.tjader@hs.se.
Rooyackers
Olav
O
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Clinical Metabolic Research Center, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
Forsberg
Ann-Marie
AM
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Clinical Metabolic Research Center, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
Vesali
Rokhsareh F
RF
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Clinical Metabolic Research Center, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
Garlick
Peter J
PJ
Department of Surgery, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-8191, USA.
Wernerman
Jan
J
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Clinical Metabolic Research Center, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003422:Critical Care; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000652:urine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D005973:Glutamine; D019344:Lactic Acid; D009584:Nitrogen