title: Pharmaconutrition review: physiological mechanisms.
abstract: The search to improve outcomes in critically ill patients through nutrition support has steadily progressed over the past 4 decades. One current approach to this problem is the addition of specific nutrients as primary therapy to improve host defenses and improve the outcome of critically ill patients. The field is referred to as "pharmaconutrition," with the hope of focusing investigations on each nutrient to understand its pharmacological effects on immune and clinical outcomes. The purpose of this review is to describe some of the known physiological mechanisms of pharmaconutrients such as glutamine, arginine, ω-3 fatty acids, and selenium.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Administration Surgical Services, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pierre
authors.forename: Aaron F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Heneghan
authors.forename: Christy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Wischmeyer
authors.forename: Rosemary A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kozar
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kudsk
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007930:Leucine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018529:Nutritional Support; D056692:Prebiotics / Q000032:analysis; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D058616:Synbiotics; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D018977:Micronutrients; D056692:Prebiotics; D005973:Glutamine; D001120:Arginine; D007930:Leucine; D012643:Selenium
keywords: immune modulation; immunonutrition; nutrition therapy; pharmaconutrition