By using a transplantable
Yoshida sarcoma in a rat
total parenteral nutrition model, we measured the effectiveness of an
arginine-enriched
amino acid solution (AI-82) in terms of
leucine kinetics and
nitrogen balance as indicators of host-
tumor nutrition interaction compared with that of a conventional
amino acid solution (Proteamin12). When
tumor-bearing rats received isocaloric
total parenteral nutrition solutions for 7 days, AI-82 significantly improved host
nitrogen balance and significantly decreased the
tumor-
nitrogen trap throughout the experimental period.
Leucine kinetics of whole body and tissues were also determined by a 4-hour continuous infusion of each
total parenteral nutrition solution containing 14C-leucine. Significantly increased whole-body
leucine oxidation (p < .01) without an increase in
leucine release from normal tissues was observed in the AI-82 group. Total incorporation of 14C-leucine into whole muscle was significantly elevated (p < .05) without changes in
muscle protein degradation in the AI-82 group. In the whole
tumor, AI-82 tended to decrease total incorporation of 14C-leucine, but there was no difference in
leucine release caused by
protein breakdown between the two groups. These findings suggest that AI-82 can improve the nutritional status of the host over that of the
tumor.