Inhibition of skeletal muscle protein synthesis in septic intra-abdominal abscess

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · J. Trauma; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-198807000-00012· OSTI ID:6836770

Vary, T C; Siegel, J H; Tall, B D; Morris, J G; Smith, J A

Chronic sepsis is always associated with profound wasting leading to increased release of amino acids from skeletal muscle. Net protein catabolism may be due to decreased rate of synthesis, increased rate of degradation, or both. To determine whether protein synthesis is altered in chronic sepsis, the rate of protein synthesis in vivo was estimated by measuring the incorporation of (/sup 3/H)-phenylalanine in skeletal muscle protein in a chronic (5-day) septic rat model induced by creation of a stable intra-abdominal abscess using an E. coli + B. fragilis-infected sterile fecal-agar pellet as foreign body nidus. Septic rats failed to gain weight at rates similar to control animals, therefore control animals were weight matched to the septic animals. The skeletal muscle protein content in septic animals was significantly reduced relative to control animals (0.18 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.21 +/- 0.01 mg protein/gm wet wt; p less than 0.02). The rate of incorporation of (/sup 3/H)-phenylalanine into skeletal muscle protein from control animals was 39 +/- 4 nmole/gm wet wt/hr or a fractional synthetic rate of 5.2 +/- 0.5%/day. In contrast to control animals, the fractional synthetic rate in septic animals (2.6 +/- 0.2%/day) was reduced by 50% compared to control animals (p less than 0.005). The decreased rate of protein synthesis in sepsis was not due to an energy deficit, as high-energy phosphates and ATP/ADP ratio were not altered. This decrease in protein synthesis occurred even though septic animals consumed as much food as control animals.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6836770
• Journal Information: J. Trauma; (United States), Journal Name: J. Trauma; (United States) Vol. 28:7; ISSN JOTRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550901* -- Pathology-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ABDOMEN
ABSCESSES
ADP
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
ATP
BACTERIAL DISEASES
BIOLOGICAL MODELS
BIOSYNTHESIS
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DISEASES
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
INHIBITION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MUSCLES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PHENYLALANINE
PROTEINS
RATS
RODENTS
SYNTHESIS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES