Comparative study of amino acid, ammonia and pancreatic hormone levels in the blood of cirrhotic patients following intragastric and intravenous administration of a branched-chain amino acid-enriched solution.

The blood levels of amino acids, ammonia and pancreatic hormones following the intragastric and intravenous administration of a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-enriched solution were comparatively investigated in control subjects and patients with liver cirrhosis. There was no essential difference in the time course of serum amino acid and blood ammonia levels between the intragastric and intravenous infusions. Elevation of serum insulin concentrations in cirrhotic patients was significant only immediately after the administration through the enteral route. However, plasma glucagon levels increased similarly when the BCAA-enriched solution was administered through either route. The results indicate that both enteral and intravenous infusions will have similar therapeutic effects on the impaired protein metabolism in cirrhotic patients with protein-calorie malnutrition.