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Effect of Alanine Infusion on Glucose and Urea Production in Man
Author(s) -
Wolfe Robert R.,
Jahoor Farook,
Shaw James H.F.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607187011002109
Subject(s) - urea , gluconeogenesis , alanine , medicine , chemistry , endocrinology , parenteral nutrition , carbohydrate , enteral administration , metabolism , biochemistry , biology , amino acid
We have tested the response to a primed constant infusion of alanine (2 mg/kg·min infusion, 120 mg/kg prime) on glucose and urea kinetics in overnight fasted volunteers by using primed‐constant infusions of 6,6‐d2‐glucose and 15 N 2 ‐urea. When no alanine was infused, plateaus in glucose and urea concentration and enrichment were maintained for the final 3 hr of a 4‐hr infusion of tracers. When alanine was infused over the final 2 hr of a second protocol, urea enrichment decreased significantly, indicating an increase in urea production from 4.4 ± 0.31 to 7.0 ± 0.63 μmol/kg·min. This corresponded to a potential increase in gluconeogenesis from alanine of 20%. Nonetheless, the alanine infusion had no significant effect on either the plasma concentration or enrichment of glucose, which means that hepatic glucose output was not affected. We conclude, therefore, that increasing gluconeogenic precursor availability does not stimulate hepatic glucose output in overnight‐fasted man. ( Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 11:109–111, 1987)