Uptake of dietary amino acids into arterial blood during continuous enteral feeding in critically ill patients and healthy subjects

BackgroundAmino acid availability is a regulatory factor of protein anabolism and partly dependent on enteral amino uptake. During continuous feeding, uptake may vary considerably, but this has not been documented systematically.MethodsIn pragmatic study, we investigated patients in the intensive care unit (n = 10) healthy adults 10). The time course essential concentrations arterial plasma dietary phenylalanine were recorded during 12 hours using 13C-labeled tracer.ResultsPlasma 13C-phenylalanine enrichment reached tentative steady state after no more than 4.5 h from start tracer infusion. There was large intra- inter-individual variability both cohorts. No periodicity could be detected temporal variation.ConclusionDuring acids shows variation. A eventually reached.Trial registrationRegistered at Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, trial ID ACTRN12616000593437. Amino systematically. In tracer. Plasma reached.