Exogenous amino acids as fuel in shock.

It has been suggested that in shock branched-chain amino acids are preferentially oxidized resulting in continued proteolysis and stimulated gluconeogenesis. To determine if exogenous amino acids could be used as fuel in shock, dogs rendered hypotensive by controlled cardiac tamponade and normotensive controls were infused with amino acid mixtures and individual amino acids. When Nephramine, a mixture rich in branched-chain amino acids, was infused, plasma alpha-amino nitrogen levels rose but urea output did not increase in either the control state or in shock, suggesting that these amino acids were not rapidly deaminated to serve as fuels. Travasol, which in addition contained large amounts of alanine and glycine, tripled urea output in the controls and doubled it in shock. The limit of urea production was reached in both groups at 35 mumoles urea/minute/kg. In the Travasol-infused animals plasma alpha-amino nitrogen levels were maintained in normotension but rose sharply in shock. When glycine alone was infused into five dogs in shock urea production rate was 30.6 + 2.1 mumoles/minute/kg; with alanine the same value was 22.5 + 2.2 mumoles/minute/kg. In both cases plasma alpha-amino nitrogen levels were high, suggesting that transport of these amino acids into the cell was slow in shock. In four dogs in shock glycine-14C was added to the glycine infusate as a tracer. At radioactive equilibrium 28% of the label infused appeared in CO2; another 22% appeared in glucose. It is concluded that of all the amino acids tested only glycine and alanine are deaminated rapidly enough to serve as exogenous fuels in shock.