Elective abdominal operations alter the free amino acid content of the human intestinal mucosa.

Objective: To assess the impact of a standard moderately severe surgical operation on the mucosal amino acid content of the duodenum and the colon.

Design: Open study.

Setting: University hospital, Sweden.

Subjects: Nine patients who were to undergo elective open cholecystectomy.

Interventions: Endoscopically obtained biopsy specimens from the intestinal mucosa.

Main Outcome Measures: Changes in the content of free amino acids in the duodenum and colon at three days postoperatively.

Results: The concentration of glutamine in the duodenum increased by 27% and that of glutamic acid by 34% after operation, whereas their content in colon remained unaltered. The concentration of branched chain amino acids increased by 26% in the duodenal mucosa after operation and by 24% in the colonic mucosa. The total concentration of amino acids (excluding taurine) increased by 9% in the duodenum, but remained unaltered in the colon.

Conclusion: This study shows characteristic and consistent alterations in the free amino acid content of the intestinal tract after a moderately severe operation.