Effect of nutritional status and 5-fluorouracil on protein synthesis in parenterally alimented LEW/Mai rats.

LEW/Mal rats bearing transplantable adenocarcinomas were maintained parenterally for 4 days on 1) a regimen adequate in amino acids and glucose and 2) severely hypocaloric glucose. Rats from both groups were given 17.5 mg 5-fluorouracil (FUra)/kg/day as a continuous infusion for 3 days. Cumulative nitrogen balance, fractional tissue protein synthesis rates, and liver and muscle distribution of FUra and its metabolites were determined. Results were compared to those found with a series of control rats that were not treated with FUra. No changes attributable to FUra were found in the starved rats (1.25 g glucose/day). In the fed rats (15 g glucose plus 2.5 g amino acids/day), FUra decreased the liver and diaphragm fractional protein synthesis rates and the nitrogen retention.