[Thermic and metabolic effects of meals in liver cirrhosis assessment of oxidation and storage rates of nutrients].

The thermic effect of food was evaluated in 10 cirrhotic patients and 7 normal controls by indirect calorimetry during 6 hours following intake of a mixed meal supplying 15 kcal/kg of body weight and containing 30, 15 and 55 percent as lipid, protein and carbohydrate calories respectively. The rates of storage and oxidation of nutriments, as well as variations of blood glucose, insulin, plasma lactates, free fatty acids, glycerol, and ketonic corps were also evaluated. The thermogenic response to food was lower (p less than 0.025) and delayed in cirrhotic patients. In cirrhotic patients the rate of glucose oxidation was significantly increased (70.2 +/- 3.9 vs 50.4 +/- 3.9 percent of the glucose load; p less than 0.01) suggesting a defect in glycogen storage. These results can be related to insulin resistance as attested by a larger increase of glucose and insulin levels in cirrhotics than in controls (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.001, respectively). Compared with controls, lipolysis in cirrhotic patients was more suppressed as shown by a sharper decrease of free fatty acids and glycerol levels (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.02, respectively). Furthermore, the rate of lipid oxidation decreased more in cirrhotic as compared with controls (p less than 0.001) before becoming completely suppressed. De novo lipogenesis appeared between the 2nd and 4th hours. Consequently, the rate of lipid oxidation was significantly reduced in cirrhotic vs controls (14.3 +/- 5.0 vs 30.5 +/- 3.7 percent of the lipid load; p less than 0.02) showing an increased rate of lipid storage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)