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. 1972 Sep;6(3):266–271. doi: 10.1128/iai.6.3.266-271.1972

Nitrogen Metabolism and Protein Synthesis During Pneumococcal Sepsis in Rats

M C Powanda 1, R W Wannemacher Jr 1, G L Cockerell 1
PMCID: PMC422526  PMID: 4404682

Abstract

Markedly increased synthesis of α2 and β globulins and α1, α2, and β glycoglobulins occurs during pneumococcal sepsis in the rat simultaneously with decreased albumin formation, diminished tritiated leucine incorporation into muscle protein, and enhanced excretion of nitrogen. This augmented synthesis of specific serum proteins does not become evident until fever and bacteremia develop, and it appears to be a fundamental aspect of host response to a proliferating bacterial infection in that it occurs even in rats fed a protein-deficient (6% protein) diet after weaning and before exposure to Diplococcus pneumoniae.

Although amino acid catabolism, in general, appears to be increased during infection, tryptophan degradation via the kynurenine pathway, as assessed by measuring diazotizable urinary metabolites, changes little or is, at times, significantly less than in control animals. Coincidentally, functional tryptophan oxygenase activity decreases at 16 hr after exposure. Total tryptophan oxygenase activity, however, is unchanged.

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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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