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Centro di Studio per la Fisiopatologia dello Shock CNR, Catholic University, Rome, Italy and * Department of Surgery, UMDNJ, Newark, NJ
1To whom correspondence should be addressed.
| ABSTRACT |
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KEY WORDS: taurine humans sepsis parenteral nutrition plasma amino acids
| INTRODUCTION |
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-AA. This latter feature involves dependency of Tau on a distinct
intracellular AA transport system, system ß, and supports the
independence of Tau from well-known alterations in other transport
systems (such as system A), which are major determinants of changes in
the plasma AA pool in sepsis.
Moreover, there is a specific need to characterize the relationship
between plasma Tau and other AA levels not only in septic patients
under standard total parenteral nutrition (TPN) but also in patients
undergoing modified TPN with high doses of branched-chain amino
acids (BCAA). In fact, the latter regimen is at present a customary
practice in many countries; it has been shown to significantly affect
protein synthetic and catabolic rates and plasma AA interactions
(Bower et al. 1986
, Cerra et al. 1982
,
Chiarla et al. 1988
, Freund et al. 1978
,
Skeie et al. 1990
), and there is evidence of a modified
response of Tau, compared with most of the other AA, to leucine
infusion in normal subjects (Hagenfeldt et al. 1980
,
Sherwin 1978
). Our study was performed to assess the
relationships among plasma Tau, levels of the other AA, doses of BCAA
and variables quantifying severity of metabolic and cardiorespiratory
impairment in two groups of septic patients randomly selected to
undergo standard or modified (high BCAA) TPN support.
| SUBJECTS AND METHODS |
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| RESULTS |
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| DISCUSSION |
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Sepsis is characterized by dramatic changes in protein and AA
metabolism and turnover. The assessment of changes in plasma Tau levels
with respect to levels of other AA seem relevant, given its unusual
role; however, this aspect has remained unexplored. The results in our
study showed that plasma Tau varies independently of changes in most
other AA levels. Exceptions were Glu, Asp, ß-Ala and Pea, whose
changes were related directly to those of Tau (moreover, with
increasing leucine, isoleucine and valine doses, levels of these AA
increased with those of Tau, whereas levels of the other AA were
generally decreased). These relationships were not totally unexpected,
given the structural similarities and the physicochemical properties
that may involve a balance in levels of these AA. These include, for
example, competition for intracellular AA transport system and binding
to membrane enzymes and receptors, metabolic relationships linking
ß-Ala and Tau precursors, and other mechanisms involving covariation
of plasma and tissue levels of these AA (e.g., simultaneous involvement
in osmoregulation) (Griffith 1983
and 1986
,
Hofford et al. 1996
, Lehmann et al. 1985
,
Lehmann 1989
, Milakofsky et al. 1985
,
Schaffer et al. 1995
, Shotwell et al. 1983
, Wu 1976
). However, the relationships found
among Tau, Glu and Asp are particularly interesting, especially when
their parallel increases at high leucine, isoleucine and valine doses
(Group Sep-B) are considered. Although the increases in Glu and Asp in
Group Sep-B may depend on increased substrate availability and
transformation (the BCAA are precursors of both Glu and Asp, and there
is an equilibrium between Glu and Asp interconversion) (Skeie et al. 1990
), the correlations with Tau may support an effect of
increased BCAA dose on Tau synthesis. This is because Glu and Asp are
also interrelated metabolically with cysteinesulfinic acid, which is a
precursor of Tau (it is an intermediate in the synthesis of Tau from
cysteine) (Hayes 1988a
and 1988b
,
Stipanuk 1986
). To our knowledge, the outcomes of these
interactions have not been explored previously in clinical studies.
Their importance should be assessed also because the higher plasma Tau
in Group Sep-B occurred with an AA solution containing a lower dose
of other precursors of Tau (although serine was an exception, the total
sum of moles of methionine, serine, threonine and glycine was lower).
There is another relevant aspect of these interactions. Both Tau and
glutathione have antioxidative roles, and both rely on similar
substrates for synthesis. Actually, Glu and cysteine are precursors of
glutathione and of Tau (cysteinesulfinate is a by-product of
cysteine). This may lead to competition for substrate when demand for
antioxidant protection increases; in effect, decreased plasma levels of
sulfur AA in sepsis have been considered to be a consequence of AA
utilization to enhance glutathione synthesis, and this same mechanism
has been suggested to explain the fall in Tau (Grimble 1993
and 1994
, Hashiguchi et al. 1997
, Malmezat et al. 1998
). On the basis of these considerations, high dose BCAA
might potentiate antioxidant protection by supporting the synthesis of
both Tau and glutathione, a possibility that should be investigated in
further studies.
In conclusion, our results provide an insight into features of Tau that
remain incompletely understood, characterizing the relationships with
plasma levels of other AA, with TPN substrate doses, and with metabolic
and cardiorespiratory variables in septic patients. More study is
required to characterize fully Tau metabolism and interactions in
sepsis. Beyond an improvement in understanding of pathophysiology,
there are also therapeutic implications. These relate to evidence that
Tau availability is associated with better preservation of effector
cell function in host defense, decreased susceptibility to host tissue
damage after activation of inflammatory cells and protection against
proinflammatory mediator-induced lung and liver dysfunction
(Banks et al. 1992
, Cantin 1994
,
Gordon et al. 1992
, Grimble 1993
and
1994
, Guertin et al. 1993
,
Malmezat et al. 1998
, Pathirana and Grimble 1992
, Redmond et al. 1996
, Schuller-Levis et al. 1994
, Stapleton et al. 1998
).
| FOOTNOTES |
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Manuscript received January 7, 2000. Initial review completed February 14, 2000. Revision accepted May 16, 2000.
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