Effect of nutritional supplementation on protein synthesis in tumour and host tissues of rats with colonic cancer

Abstract

Rats with colonic cancer were given a palatable liquid diet which enabled them to gain weight while those fed on stock diet, either ad libitum or in restricted amounts, lost weight. Protein synthesis was measured in vivo using a flooding dose technique. Increased nutrient intake caused increases in the rate of protein synthesis in muscle, liver and non-diseased parts of the colon, but had no effect on protein synthesis in the tumours. These data suggest that enteral hyperalimentation may be safely employed in the preoperative management of patients with cancer, as it is likely to stimulate nitrogen retention in the host tissues without increasing the growth rate of the tumour.