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The measurement of the fractional breakdown rate (FBR) of muscle proteins during physiological non-steady state of amino acids (AAs) presents some challenges. Therefore, the goal of the present experiment was to modify the bolus stable isotope tracer injection approach to determine both fractional synthesis rate (FSR) and FBR of leg muscle protein during a physiological non-steady state of AAs. The approach uses the traditional precursor-product principle but is modified with the assumption that inward transport of AAs is proportional to their plasma concentrations. The FBR value calculated from the threonine tracer served as a reference to evaluate the validity of the FBR measurement from the phenylalanine tracer, which was under a non-steady-state condition due to the concomitant injection of unlabeled phenylalanine. Plasma phenylalanine concentration increased more than fourfold after the bolus injection, and thereafter it decreased exponentially, whereas the threonine concentration remained stable. FBR values were similar with the two tracers [0.133 ± 0.003 and 0.148 ± 0.003%/h (means ± SE) for the phenylalanine and threonine tracers, respectively, P > 0.05]. In addition, FSR values for the two tracers were similar (0.069 ± 0.002 and 0.067 ± 0.001%/h for the phenylalanine and threonine tracers, respectively, P > 0.05), indicating that the traditional FSR approach can also be used in the non-steady state. Accordingly, net balance (NB) values were similar (-0.065 ± 0.002 and -0.081 ± 0.002%/h for the phenylalanine and threonine tracers, respectively, P > 0.05). This new method of measuring muscle protein FBR during physiological non-steady state gives reliable results and allows simultaneous measurement of muscle protein FSR and thus a calculation of NB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present experiment was designed to measure the synthetic and break- down rates of muscle protein in the hindlimb of rabbits with or without clamping the femoral artery. L-[ring-13C6]phenylalanine was infused as a tracer for measurement of muscle protein kinetics by means of an arteriovenous model, tracer incorporation, and tracee release methods. The ultrasonic flowmeter, dye dilution, and micro- sphere methods were used to determine the flow rates in the femoral artery, in the leg, and in muscle capillary, respectively. The femoral artery flow accounted for 65% of leg flow. A 50% reduction in the femoral artery flow reduced leg flow by 28% and nutritive flow by 26%, which did not change protein synthetic or breakdown rate in leg muscle. Full clamp of the femoral artery reduced leg flow by 42% and nutritive flow by 59%, which decreased (P < 0.05) both the fractional synthetic rate from 0.19 ± 0.05 to 0.14 ± 0.03%/day and fractional breakdown rate from 0.28 ± 0.07 to 0.23 ± 0.09%/day of muscle protein. Neither the partial nor full clamp reduced (P = 0.27-0.39) the intracellular phenylalanine concentration or net protein balance in leg muscle. We conclude that the flow threshold to cause a fall of protein turnover rate in leg muscle was a reduction of 30-40% of the leg flow. The acute responses of muscle protein kinetics to the reductions in blood flow reflected the metabolic priorities to maintain muscle homeostasis. These findings cannot be extrapolated to more chronic conditions without experimental validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemorrhagic coagulopathy is involved in the morbidity and mortality of trauma patients. Nonetheless, many aspects of the mechanisms underlying this disorder are poorly understood. We have therefore investigated changes in fibrinogen metabolism and coagulation function after a moderate hemorrhagic shock, using a new stable isotope approach. Twelve pigs were randomly divided into the control (C) and hemorrhage (H) groups. Hemorrhage was induced by bleeding 35% total blood volume over a 30-min period. A primed constant infusion of [1-13C]phenylalanine (Phe), d5-phenylalanine, and α-[1-13C]-ketoisocaproate (KIC) was given to quantify fibrinogen synthesis and breakdown, together with measurements of circulating liver enzyme activities and coagulation function. Mean arterial pressure was decreased by hemorrhage from 89 ± 4 mmHg in C to 47 ± 4 mmHg in H (P « 0.05), followed by a rebound to 68 ± 5 mmHg afterward. Fibrinogen fractional synthesis rate increased from 2.7 ± 0.2%/h in C to 4.2 ± 0.4%/h in H by Phe (P « 0.05) and from 3.1 ± 0.4%/h in C to 4.4 ± 0.5%/h in H by KIC (P « 0.05). Fibrinogen fractional breakdown rate increased from 3.6 ± 1.0%/h in C to 12.9 ± 1.8%/h in H (P « 0.05). The absolute breakdown rate accelerated from 3.0 ± 0.4 mg·kg-1·h-1 in C to 5.4 ± 0.6 mg·kg-1·h-1 in H (P « 0.05), but the absolute synthesis rate remained unchanged. These metabolic changes were accompanied by a reduction in blood clotting time to 92.7 ± 1.6% of the baseline value by hemorrhage (P « 0.05). No changes were found in liver enzyme activities. We conclude that the observed changes in coagulation after hemorrhagic shock are mechanistically related to the acute acceleration of fibrinogen degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently demonstrated that muscle protein synthesis was stimulated to a similar extent in young and elderly subjects during a 3-h amino acid infusion. We sought to determine if a more practical bolus oral ingestion would also produce a similar response in young (34 ± 4 yr) and elderly (67 ± 2 yr) individuals. Arteriovenous blood samples and muscle biopsies were obtained during a primed (2.0 µmol/kg) constant infusion (0.05 µmol·kg-1·min-1 of L-[ring-²H5]phenylalanine. Muscle protein kinetics and mixed muscle fractional synthetic rate (FSR) were calculated before and after the bolus ingestion of 15 g of essential amino acids (EAA) in young (n = 6) and elderly (n = 7) subjects. After EAA ingestion, the rate of increase in femoral artery phenylalanine concentration was slower in elderly subjects but remained elevated for a longer period. EAA ingestion increased FSR in both age groups by ∼0.04%/h (P < 0.05). However, muscle intracellular (IC) phenylalanine concentration remained significantly higher in elderly subjects at the completion of the study (young: 115.6 ± 5.4 nmol/ml; elderly: 150.2 ± 19.4 nmol/ml). Correction for the free phenylalanine retained in the muscle IC pool resulted in similar net phenylalanine uptake values in the young and elderly. EAA ingestion increased plasma insulin levels in young (6.1 ± 1.2 to 21.3 ± 3.1 µIU/ml) but not in elderly subjects (3.0 ± 0.6 to 4.3 ± 0.4 µIU/ml). Despite differences in the time course of plasma phenylalanine kinetics and a greater residual IC phenylalanine concentration, amino acid supplementation acutely stimulated muscle protein synthesis in both young and elderly individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We found that, in the rabbit ear, the dermal protein contains 75.5% of cutaneous phenylalanine and 97.9% of cutaneous proline; the remaining 24.5% of phenylalanine and 2.1% of proline are in the epidermal protein. This finding led us to develop two novel models that use phenylalanine and proline tracers and the rabbit ear to quantify protein kinetics in the epidermis and dermis. The four-pool model calculates the absolute rates of protein kinetics and amino acid transport, and the two-pool model calculates the apparent rates of protein kinetics that are reflected in the blood. The results showed that both epidermis and dermis maintained their protein mass in the postabsorptive state. The rate of epidermal protein synthesis was 93.4 ± 37.6 mg·100 g[sup -1]·h[sup -1], which was 10-fold greater than that of the dermal protein (9.3 ± 5.8 mg·100 g[sup -1]·h[sup -1]). These synthetic rates were in agreement with those measured simultaneously by the tracer incorporation method. Comparison of the four-pool and two-pool models indicated that intracellular cycling of amino acids accounted for 75 and 90% of protein kinetics in the dermis and epidermis, respectively. We conclude that, in the skin, efficient reutilization of amino acids from proteolysis for synthesis enables the maintenance of protein mass in the postabsorptive state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a new method to determine the fractional synthesis rate (FSR) and breakdown rate (FBR) of muscle protein. This method involves a pulse tracer injection and measurement of enrichment in the arterial blood and muscle at three time points. The calculations of FSR and FBR are based on the precursor-product principle. To test this method, we gave a pulse injection of L-[ring-[sup 13]C[sub 6]]phenylalanine of 4-6 mg/kg in five rabbits. The measured FBR value (0.233 ± 0.060%/h) was almost identical (P = 0.35) to that (0.217 ± 0.078%/h) estimated from a leg arteriovenous balance model (Biolo G, Chinkes D, Zhang X-J, and Wolfe RR. J Parenter Enteral Nutr 16:305-315, 1992). The measured FSR value tended to be lower than that estimated from the leg model (0.125 ± 0.036 vs. 0.185 ± 0.086%/h; P = 0.14), possibly because the new method measures only muscle FSR, whereas the leg balance model also includes skin and bone contributions. The pulse tracer injection did not affect muscle protein kinetics as measured by leucine and phenylalanine kinetics in the leg. In another five rabbits, we demonstrated that sampling could be reduced to either one or two muscle biopsies when multiple pulse injections were used. This method can be completed in 1 h with one muscle biopsy and has technical advantages over currently used methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that investigated the effect of insulin and abundant amino acid supply on protein metabolism in skin wounds. Concentrations of essential amino acids in skin wounds; Determination of plasma amino acid concentrations; Examination of protein kinetics in skin wounds.

Investigates the control of skin and muscle protein metabolism by nutrition. Insensitivity of skin protein to control by nutritional and hormonal factors; Significance of efficient reutilization of amino acids from proteolysis for the maintenance of normal skin.