Flux of plasma amino acids was measured across the heart and the leg (reflecting mainly skeletal muscle) in 18 patients 1 hour after completion of aorto-coronary bypass surgery. There was a net loss of amino acids from the leg (-324.9 +/- 39 nmol/min/100 ml tissue) while amino acid flux across the heart was not statistically different from zero. There were however positive intertissue correlations between leg and myocardial flux of tyrosine and most other amino acids, suggesting that protein metabolism of both tissues were affected in the same catabolic direction by the trauma response. Alanine and glutamine accounted for 50% of the amino acid release from the leg, which is in accordance with observations in association with other types of trauma. Alanine and glutamine also dominated amino acid release from the heart. Glutamate and aspartate were taken up by both tissues. The principal difference between the tissues was a myocardial uptake of leucine and isoleucine, in contrast to a leg release.
Our data imply that (1) infusion of mixed amino acids enhances renal blood flow after cardiac operations but has no effect on systemic perfusion and (2) the addition of insulin solution improves systemic perfusion. The combined treatment may potentially reduce the risk of renal hypoperfusion injury in the postoperative period after coronary artery bypass grafting.
The haemodynamic effects of a single dose of 0.35, 1.5 or 7.5 IU fast acting insulin X kg bw-1 were studied in 24 patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass grafting. No inotropic drugs were used. Blood glucose was measured using a continuous blood glucose monitoring system, and was kept at the preinsulin level by administration of a 40% glucose solution. Injection of 0.35 or 1.5 IU X kg bw-1 of insulin did not have significant haemodynamic effects. Injection of 7.5 IU X kg bw-1 of insulin resulted in significant changes in cardiac index (+20.8%) and in total peripheral resistance (-13.9%) within 2 min. After 10 min a reduction of 16.8% was found in the diastolic pulmonary artery pressure. These haemodynamic effects occurred before glucose had been infused. The arterial pressure and the heart rate were unaffected. It is concluded that the injection of 7.5 IU X kg bw-1 of insulin results in an increase in cardiac index in patients who have undergone open heart surgery. The effects are not primarily related to stimulation of glycolysis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.