title: Threonine utilization for synthesis of acute phase proteins, intestinal proteins, and mucins is increased during sepsis in rats.
abstract: We hypothesized that the dietary threonine demand for the anabolic response may be increased more than that of other essential amino acids during sepsis. Using a flooding dose of either L-[1 -13C]valine or L-[U -13C]threonine, we measured valine and threonine utilization for syntheses of plasma proteins (minus albumin), and wall, mucosal, and mucin proteins of the small intestine in infected (INF; d 2 and d 6 of postinfection) and control pair-fed (PF) rats. At d 2, the protein absolute synthesis rate (ASR) of INF rats was 21% (mucins) to 41% (intestinal wall) greater than that of PF when measured using valine as tracer, and 45% (mucosa) to 113% (mucins) greater than that of PF when measured with threonine as tracer. Plasma protein ASR was higher in INF than in PF rats, reaching 5- to 6-fold the value of PF. The utilization of both amino acid tracers for the protein synthesis was significantly increased by the infection in all compartments studied. The daily increased absolute threonine utilization for protein synthesis in gut wall plus plasma proteins was 446 micromol/d compared with 365 micromol/d for valine, and it represented 2.6 times the dietary threonine intake of rats at d 2. Most changes in protein ASR and threonine utilization observed at d 6 of postinfection were limited. In conclusion, sepsis increased the utilization of threonine for the anabolic splanchnic response. Because this threonine requirement is likely covered by muscle protein mobilization, increasing the threonine dietary supply would be an effective early nutritional management for patients with sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Nestlé Research Center, Nutrition and Health Department, Lausanne, Switzerland. magali.faure@rdls.nestle.com
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faure
authors.forename: Frédérique
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Choné
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mettraux
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Béchereau
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vuichoud
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papet
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breuillé
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Obled
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018805:Sepsis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D009077:Mucins; D013912:Threonine