A randomized controlled trial of the anticatabolic effect of epidural analgesia and hypocaloric glucose.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of the present study was to investigate whether epidural analgesia exerts a protein-sparing effect after colorectal surgery in the presence of hypocaloric glucose supply initiated with surgical skin incision.


METHODS
We randomly allocated 10 patients to receive general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia with bupivacaine, followed by epidural analgesia using bupivacaine/fentanyl, and 10 patients to receive general anesthesia, followed by patient-controlled analgesia with intravenous morphine. All patients received a 48-hour infusion of glucose 10% from surgical skin incision until the second day after surgery. The glucose infusion rate provided 50% of the patient's resting energy expenditure. Kinetics of protein and glucose metabolism were assessed by a stable-isotope tracer technique (L-[1-(13)C]leucine and [6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose).


RESULTS
The rate of appearance of leucine increased in the intravenous-analgesia group (112 +/- 29 to 130 +/- 25 micromol/kg/h) 2 days after surgery, and this increase was more pronounced than in the epidural analgesia group (preoperative 120 +/- 24, postoperative 123 +/- 22 micromol/kg/h, P < .05). Leucine oxidation rate increased in the intravenous analgesia group from 17 +/- 8 to 23 +/- 8 micromol/kg/h and in the epidural group from 17 +/- 6 to 19 +/- 7 micromol/kg/h without the difference between the groups reaching statistical significance (P = .067). Nonoxidative leucine disposal remained unaltered in both groups. No differences in glucose metabolism were seen between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Epidural analgesia inhibits the increase in whole-body protein breakdown in patients receiving perioperative hypocaloric glucose infusion initiated with surgical skin incision. However, oxidative protein loss, protein synthesis, and glucose metabolism are not affected by epidural analgesia.
Lattermann
Ralph
R
Department of Anesthesia, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Wykes
Linda
L
Eberhart
Leopold
L
Carli
Franco
F
Meterissian
Sarkis
S
Schricker
Thomas
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003082:Colectomy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005950:Glucose Solution, Hypertonic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007930:Leucine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D005950:Glucose Solution, Hypertonic; D009020:Morphine; D007930:Leucine; D005283:Fentanyl; D002045:Bupivacaine