PLASMA FREE AMINO ACID LEVELS DURING THE INITIAL REHABILITATION OF PROTEIN‐ENERGY MALNUTRITION WITH PROTRACTED DIARRHOEA USING A FREE AMINO ACID‐GLUCOSE DIET

Abstract

Ion-exchange chromatography of free amino acid levels of peripheral blood plasma was used to assess the amino acid absorption of severely growth retarded infants with protracted diarrhea during the initial period of rehabilitation. Infants (11) from a very low socio-economic group of a developing country, with nutritional marasmic growth retardation and prolonged diarrhea, were treated for 10 days with a commercially available free amino acid-glucose diet (Vivonex, Pfrimmer Co., Erlangen, Germany). Excessive hyperprolinemia characterized the plasma aminogram before treatment. After initial rehabilitation with this diet the plasma analyses showed very low branch-chained and cystine levels, and marginally high alanine, glycine and proline levels. Apparently the free amino acids could not be absorbed quickly enough to meet with the high glucose supply. This investigation supported the assumption that cystine is an essential amino acid in malnourished infants. Despite normal or high human growth hormone levels, somatomedin was not detectable in pooled samples from these severely growth retarded infants.