Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate modulates tissue protein metabolism in burn injured rats. Boucher, Jacques Le, Christiane Obled, Marie-Chantal Farges, and Luc Cynober . INSERM U 402, CHU Saint-Antoine, 75571 Paris Cedex 12 ; Laboratoire d'Etude du M[acute]etabolisme Azot[acute]e, INRA-Theix et CRNH ; and Laboratoire de Biochimie, Biologie Mol[acute]eculaire et Nutrition, Facult[acute]e de Pharmacie et CRNH, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
APStracts 4:0114E, 1997.
Enterally administered OKG displays whole body anabolic and anticatabolic properties in trauma situations, especially after burn injury. The aim of this study was to get informations about the anabolic effect of OKG at tissue level. Thirty six male Wistar rats (95 +/- 7 g) were allocated to four groups. Eighteen rats were burned by water (20 % body surface area). After a 24 hours fast (day 0 -day1), rats were enterally refed for 48 hours (day 1-day 3) using Osmolite_, as a low-calorie low-nitrogen regimen supplemented either with 5 g OKG/kg/day (B-OKG) or with an equivalent amount of nitrogen in the form of glycine (B-GLY). Non burned pair-fed controls treated with glycine (C-GLY) and healthy rats fed ad libitum were also studied. On day 3, protein synthesis rates (large dose method), free glutamine concentrations and total protein content were assessed in tissues. Myofibrillar degradation was assessed by measuring urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion daily from day 0 to day 3. With regard to tissue protein synthesis rates, we demonstrate for the first time that OKG displays anabolic properties in the jejunum (FSR in %/day, ad libitum = 101.9 +/- 4.0; C-GLY = 84.7 +/- 3.1, P < 0.01 vs. ad libitum; B-GLY = 84.5 +/- 1.6, P < 0.01 vs. ad libitum; B-OKG = 97.5 +/- 3.2, P < 0.05 vs. C-GLY and B-GLY), as well as in the liver (FSR in %/day, ad libitum = 75.9 +/- 3.7; C-GLY = 53.2 +/- 3.8, P < 0.01 vs. ad libitum; B-GLY = 70.2 +/- 2.0, P < 0.01 vs. C -GLY; B-OKG = 98.7 +/- 4.6, P < 0.01 vs. ad libitum, C-GLY and B -GLY), the latter having previously been observed in vitro. Furthermore, we confirm that OKG inhibits myofibrillar degradation, counteracts the trauma-induced fall of muscle glutamine pool and induces an increase in glutamine concentration in the jejunum.

Received 28 January 1997; accepted in final form 2 May 1997.
APS Manuscript Number E41-7.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1997 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 11 June 1997