A study of protein turnover in preterm neonates using 15N enrichment of urinary ammonia
Stack, T.; Reeds, P.; Preston, T.; Hay, S.; Lloyd, D.J.; Aggett, P.J.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44(3): 231-234
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0954-3007 PMID: 2369890 Document Number: 357565
Hydrolysed yeast protein labelled with 15N was used to measure protein turnover, protein synthesis and protein breakdown in preterm infants. The yeast tracer was given as a bolus intragastric dose and protein turnover was from the 15N enrichment of urinary ammonia during known periods of about 12 h. Six boys (birth weight under 1500 g) with gestation of 27 to 35 weeks were studied 2 or 3 times at postnatal ages ranging from 13 to 54 days. There was no significant correlation between protein turnover with increasing post-conceptional or postnatal age. There was considerable inter-individual variation and reproducibility varied between different infants. It is suggested that this is a convenient non-invasive technique for monitoring serially nitrogen and protein metabolism in infants and that, as such, it merits further assessment.