Prevention of skeletal muscle catabolism in sepsis does not impair
visceral protein metabolism.
Cooney, Robert N., Erik Owens, Diana Slaymaker, and Thomas C. Vary.
Department of Surgery and Department of Cellular and Molecular
Physiology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine,
Hershey, PA 17033
APStracts 2:0219E, 1995.
We investigated whether the preservation of gastrocnemius protein by
interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) during sepsis altered
protein metabolism in visceral tissues. Sepsis was induced by
creation of an abdominal abscess followed by infusion of saline or
IL-1ra. Five days later the tissue protein content and rate of
protein synthesis were measured. IL-1ra did not significantly alter
hepatic protein metabolism in septic or control animals. In kidney,
the protein content and rate of protein synthesis were decreased by
sepsis, both of which were significantly ameliorated by the infusion
of IL-1ra. Sepsis decreased the rate of protein synthesis in the
small intestine. IL-1ra increased intestinal protein synthesis in
both control and septic animals, however the effects were localized
to the seromuscular layer. The preservation of muscle protein by IL
-1ra in sepsis did not adversely affect protein synthesis in any of
the visceral tissues examined. IL-1 appears to mediate the sepsis
-induced changes in protein synthesis in kidney and small intestine,
but not liver or spleen. Protein synthesis in each visceral organ
responds differently to the septic insult and modulation of IL-1
bioactivity.
Received 7 September 1995; accepted in final form 20 October
1995.
APS Manuscript Number E436-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 6 November 95