Abstract
To investigate the role of hormones as mediators of net skeletal muscle proteolysis following injury, healthy normal male volunteers received a continuous 76-hour infusion of the 3 “stress“ hormones: hydrocortisone, glucagon, and epinephrine. As a control, each subject received a saline infusion during another 4-day period. Ten paired studies were conducted. Diets were constant and matched on both occasions. Triple hormone infusion achieved hormone concentrations similar to those seen following mild-moderate injury. After 72 hours of infusion, skeletal muscle intracellular glutamine concentrations were lower in the hormone studies than in the control group (N=4). Free amino acid concentrations in arterial whole blood and forearm amino acid efflux were little affected by hormonal infusion. Thus, alteration of the hormonal environment by the triple hormone infusion was not a sufficient stimulus to induce all of the changes in skeletal muscle proteolysis observed in critical illness. Since studies utilizing neurohormonal blockade have shown diminished net muscle proteolysis, the stress hormones appear to be necessary but not sufficient for the protein catabolic response to injury.
Résumé
Pour étudier le rôle des hormones dans la protéolyse posttraumatique de muscle squelettique, des volontaires de sexe mâle en bonne santé ont été perfusés pendant 76 heures avec les 3 hormones “de stress“: hydrocortisone, glucagon, et adrénaline. En contrôle, chaque patient a reÇu une perfusion de sérum physiologique pendant quatre jours. Dix études appariées ont été faites. Pendant les deux études, l'alimentation était la mÊme et constante. La perfusion des 3 hormones a provoqué une concentration semblable à celle qu'on observe après un traumatisme moyen. Après 72 heures, le taux de glutamine dans les muscles squelettiques était plus bas dans l'étude hormonale que dans l'étude contrôle (N=4). La concentration en acides aminés libres dans le sang artériel et notamment l'arrivée de sang dans l'avant-bras n'étaient que peu influencées par la perfusion hormonale. Ainsi, la perfusion avec augmentation de la concentration des 3 hormones “de stress“ ne suffisait pas pour provoquer la protéolyse musculaire squelettique que l'on observe lors des maladies graves. Puisque d'autres études ont montré que le blocage neurohormonal diminue nettement la protéolyse musculaire, les hormones “de stress“ semblent donc nécessaires mais non suffisantes dans la réponse catabolique protéinique au traumatisme.
Resumen
Con el propósito de investigar el papel de las hormonas como agentes mediadores de la proteolisis muscular neta que se presenta en el trauma y en otros estados críticos, se administró una infusión de las 3 “hormonas del estrés,“ hidrocortisona, glucagón, y epinefrina, a voluntarios sanos por períodos continuos de 76 horas. Como control, cada individuo recibió una infusión de solución salina durante otro período de 4 días. Se condujeron 10 estudios apareados, con dietas constantes y similares en ambas ocasiones. La infusión triple de hormonas produjo concentraciones sanguíneas hormonales similares a las observadas en pacientes con trauma leve-moderado. A las 72 horas de la infusión las concentraciones intracelulares de glutamina en el mÚsculo esquelético aparecieron menores que en los estudios de control (N=4). Las concentraciones de aminoácidos libres en la sangre arterial y el flujo de salida de aminoácidos en el antebrazo resultaron mínimamente afectados por la infusión hormonal. Por lo tanto, la alteración del medio hormonal producida por infusión triple de hormonas no representa un estímulo suficiente para inducir la totalidad de las alteraciones en la proteolisis del mÚsculo esquelético que se observa en la enfermedad crítica. Puesto que los estudios con bloqueo neurohumoral han demostrado una disminución en la proteolisis muscular neta, las hormonas del estrés parecen ser necesarias, pero no suficientes de por sí, para la respuesta catabólica a la injuria biológica.
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Supported by the National Institutes of Health Trauma Center Grant P50-GM 29327-03 and Clinical Research Center Grant no. 290-9299.
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Bessey, P.Q., Jiang, Zm., Johnson, D.J. et al. Posttraumatic skeletal muscle proteolysis: The role of the hormonal environment. World J. Surg. 13, 465–470 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01660758
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01660758