Table 4. Whole-body phenylalanine kinetics.
| 50% EN* | 100% EN* | Mean difference** | p-value† | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance (µmol Phe/kg/h) | -6.1 ±1.5 | 2.9 ±2.0 | 9.0 (0.4–17.7) | 0.044 |
| Synthesis (µmol Phe/kg/h) | 56.6 ±7.9 | 65.6 ±7.3 | 9.00 (-14.2–32.2) | 0.36 |
| Breakdown (µmol Phe/kg/h) | 62.6 ±8.6 | 62.6 ±6.6 | 0.0 (-26.0–26.0) | 1.0 |
| Oxidation (µmol Phe/kg/h) | 12.6 ±2.5 | 13.7 ±2.2 | 1.10 (-8.3–10.5) | 0.78 |
| Splanchnic extraction fraction | 0.22 ±0.13 | 0.09 ±0.11 | -0.13 (-0.61–0.35) | 0.53 |
| Rate of appearance (µmol Phe/kg/h) | 70.6 ±10.0 | 80.7 ±8.7 | 10.1 (-20.1–40.2) | 0.43 |
| Plasma free amino acids (µmol/L) | 2173 ±161 | 2632 ±165 | 459 (157–762) | 0.011 |
| Serum urea (mmol/L) | 14.2 ±2.3 | 13.4 ±2.0 | -0.76 (-2.4–0.9) | 0.28 |
EN: Enteral nutrition; Phe: Phenylalanine.
* mean ± standard error.
** mean (95% confidence interval).
†All p-values calculated with two-tailed Student’s T-test for paired samples.