MAINTENANCE OF NITROGEN EQUILIBRIUM BY INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF AMINO ACIDS

Abstract

In an earlier paper¹ it was shown that substitution of a mixture of essential amino acids for food protein is possible. A hydrolysate of casein reenforced by the addition of tryptophan was given subcutaneously or intravenously to normal persons and to patients after operation. Five of the 7 normal subjects stayed in nitrogen balance throughout the experiment. In the surgically treated subjects the injections helped to maintain nitrogen equilibrium. Naturally, the question arose whether such injection of amino acids would be efficacious in the treatment of patients suffering from various disorders. In pursuit of this problem the following study was undertaken. MATERIAL AND METHOD Nitrogen balance studies were made on 19 subjects observed over periods of two to thirteen weeks. There were 9 patients with malignant growths, 3 with hyperthyroidism, 1 with myxedema, 2 with empyema, 2 with chronic glomerulonephritis, 1 with cirrhosis of the liver and 1 with