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. 1979 Nov;190(5):577–586. doi: 10.1097/00000658-197911000-00004

Proline metabolism in sepsis, cirrhosis and general surgery. The peripheral energy deficit.

F B Cerra, J Caprioli, J H Siegel, R R McMenamy, J R Border
PMCID: PMC1344535  PMID: 116605

Abstract

Proline metabolism was prospectively evaluated in patients with surgical sepsis, cirrhosis, and elective surgical procedures. Significant correlations were found in the septic patients. Proline levels were an excellent indicator of mortality and correlated positively with lactate levels. Lactate and proline were inversely related to total peripheral resistance and oxygen consumption. In septic patients who expired: the metabolites involved in the hepatic pathways of proline degradation were elevated in proportion to proline; lactate, glutamate and proline were directly related to pyruvate; lactate/pyruvate ratios were constant; proline, glutamate, ammonia, ornithine, lactate and pyruvate levels were inversely proportional to oxygen consumption and total peripheral resistance. The primary defects in sepsis seem to be metabolic; there are very strong correlations in time between physiology and metabolism; the metabolic abnormality seems to be a progressive energy-fuel deficit, possibly from a progressive inhibition of substrate entry into the Krebs cycle.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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