Are the effects of branched chain amino acids and glucose infusions on nitrogen urinary excretion in a four postoperative period of adults rabbits, additive?

ABSTRACT

The effects of branched chain amino acid (BCAA) and BCAA plus glucose infusions in nitrogen urinary excretion, in a four day postoperative period, was investigated in rabbits. Thirty-two adults rabbits, male (New Zealand) were randomly assigned to four groups Group I (control) received saline solution (0.98 percent NaCl); Group II received glucose infusion (1 g/Kg/day); Group III received BCAA infusion (1 g/Kg/day) and Group IV reveived BCAA plus glusoce (1 g/Kg/day). During the four days postoperative period all animals were fasted completely. Urinary total nitrogen excretion was calculated on each day. All results were expressed in grams of nitrogen per kilogram of body weight per day +- standard error of the mean (+- SEM). The infusion of BCAA was followed by a significant reduction in urinary nitrogen excretion when compared to both glucose and saline controls. This nitrogen sparing effect of BCAA infusion during postoperative period was observed in all four days following surgical procedures. Glucose infusion alone also induced a decrease in urinary nitrogen excretion during the four days postoperative period when compared to saline control group. The infusion of BCAA plus glucose was followed by a slight, but significant reduction in urinary nitrogen loss when compared to glucose saline controls. However, the nitrogen excretion in urine after BCAA plus glucose infusion was significantly higher than the nitrogen loss in urine of all animals receiving BCAA alone. We concluded that the nitrogen sparing effect following the infusion of BCAA plus glucose was less pronounced than nitrogen sparing effect of BCAA infusion alone