[Effect of intravenous nutrition on protein catabolism in stomach cancer patients after radical gastrectomy]

Abstract

12 patients with advanced gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy were randomized into two groups to investigate the mechanism of protein loss and to evaluate the effect of intravenous nutrition (IVN) support on protein catabolism postoperatively. The mean weight loss was 600 g/d, and the amount of total nitrogen loss was 70 g (9.6 +/- 1.73 g/d) within a week after surgery. The whole body protein breakdown rate increased by 45.2% on the 5th day. The net protein loss was higher in the control group than that in the IVN group. The parameters represented protein catabolism, such as total nitrogen, creatinine and 3-MH excretion in urine and CPK in serum showed a higher value after surgery. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups. The results show that the loss of nitrogen in the patients after major surgery is mainly due to the increase of protein breakdown and IVN support after surgery could not reduce the protein catabolism, but it could elevate rate of protein synthesis.