This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (61)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Donald A. Plumley, MD; Wiley W. Souba, MD, ScD; R. Dean Hautamaki, MD; Tomas D. Martin, MD; Timothy C. Flynn, MD; W. Robert Rout, MD; Edward M. Copeland, III, MD

Arch Surg. 1990;125(1):57-61.

Abstract
• Amino acid flux across the lungs was studied in humans to gain further insight into the altered nitrogen metabolism that characterizes catabolic disease states. Lung flux of glutamine, glutamate, and alanine was determined in three groups of surgical patients with indwelling pulmonary artery catheters: (1) preoperative controls (n 14), (2) postoperative elective general surgical patients (n 10), and (3) hyperdynamic septic surgical patients (n = 17). In controls the lung was an organ of amino acid balance. These exchange rates did not change in general surgical patients. In the septic group, glutamine release by the lung increased markedly from a control value of 0.80 ± 0.99 µmol/kg per minute to 6.80±1.32 µmol/kg per minute. This accelerated release rate was secondary to both an increase in total pulmonary blood flow and an increase in the pulmonary artery-systemic arterial concentration difference. The lung also became an organ of significant alanine release in septic patients. The lung plays an active metabolic role in the processing of amino acids and may be a key regulator in interorgan nitrogen flux after major injury and infection.

(Arch Surg. 1990;125:57-61)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication August 29, 1989.

Read before the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Surgical Infection Society, Denver, Colo, April 13, 1989.

Reprint requests to Department of Surgery, Box J-286, JHMHC, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610 (Dr Souba).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Parenteral Administration of Glutamine Modulates Acute Phase Response in Postparturient Dairy Cows
Jafari et al.
J DAIRY SCI 2006;89:4660-4668.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Renal metabolism of amino acids: its role in interorgan amino acid exchange
van de Poll et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2004;79:185-197.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Glutamine synthetase expression in rat lung is regulated by protein stability
Labow et al.
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 1998;275:L877-L886.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Glutamine synthetase gene expression in the lungs of endotoxin-treated and adrenalectomized rats
Lukaszewicz et al.
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 1997;273:L1182-L1190.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Treatment of Endotoxemic Mice With Anti--Interleukin-6 Antibody Paradoxically Increases Interleukin-6 Levels and Stimulates Mucosal Protein Synthesis
Wang et al.
Arch Surg 1997;132:82-88.
ABSTRACT  

Inhibition of Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Glutamine Transport by Glucocorticoids and Endotoxin
Ming Pan et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1995;19:477-481.
ABSTRACT  

Intestinal Amino Acid Content in Critically III Patients
Ahlman et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1995;19:272-278.
ABSTRACT  

Role of the Lungs in Maintaining Amino Acid Homeostasis
Plumley et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1990;14:569-573.
ABSTRACT  

Glutamine Nutrition: Theoretical Considerations and Therapeutic Impact
Souba et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1990;14:237S-243S.
 

Gut Glutamine Metabolism
Souba et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1990;14:45S-50S.
 

Lung Glutamine Metabolism
Souba et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1990;14:68S-70S.
 

Glutamine Metabolism During Starvation
Abumrad et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1990;14:71S-76S.
 

Interorgan Glutamine Flow Following Surgery and Infection
Souba and Austgen
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1990;14:90S-93S.