AMINO-ACID METABOLISM IN DOGS WITH ESCHERICHIA-COLI BACTEREMIC SHOCK

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 85  (2) , 212-218
Abstract
In 10 fasting dogs receiving 109 viable Escherichia coli bacteria/kg i.v. mean systolic blood pressure decreased from 120.6 .+-. 15.1 to 82.2 .+-. 12.8 mm Hg. The association of hypoglycemia and increased arterial alanine and glycine with elevated plasma glucagon implied impaired gluconeogenesis. A rapid elevation of blood urea concentration, indicating increased ureagenesis, a fall of blood glucose and an increase of net urea synthesis relative to that of glucose suggested that an increased proportion of the C residues derived from glucogenic amino acids is catabolized via pathways other than gluconeogenesis. In the bacteremic dogs the absolute net release from the leg of valine, isoleucine and leucine and their net release relative to the net rate of proteolysis were decreased, suggesting increased oxidation of these amino acids in skeletal muscle. An increased net release of alanine relative to the net rate of protein catabolism in muscle supported this contention.