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Protein synthesis in a piglet model of gastrointestinal inflammation and malnutrition

A piglet model of gastrointestinal inflammation (INF) and protein energy malnutrition (PEM) was developed to determine the mechanisms responsible for growth retardation and muscle wasting during inflammatory stress. Acute PEM decreased liver and plasma protein fractional synthesis rates (FSR), measured by stable isotope (2H3-leucine) incorporation. Conversely, both rates increased during PEM+INF at the expense of growth and muscle FSR. INF increased plasma protein synthesis by 77% in PEM without increasing its plasma concentration, demonstrating that the measurement of plasma protein concentration alone underestimates the metabolic impact of INF. INF during PEM results in a re-prioritization of amino acids from muscle protein synthesis and growth to hepatic synthesis of plasma proteins to support the acute phase response. This underscores the critical role of adequate protein-energy nutrition during inflammation in preventing muscle wasting and growth failure. This new piglet model can be applied to investigate nutritional and therapeutic interventions in inflammatory bowel disease.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.31265
Date January 2001
CreatorsMackenzie, Michelle Lee.
ContributorsWykes, Linda (advisor)
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageMaster of Science (School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001809828, proquestno: MQ70461, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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