The synthesis of serum albumin was measured in 19 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and ascites. Carbonate-(14)C was used to label the guanido carbon of arginine in albumin.18 of the patients had the diagnosis of cirrhosis confirmed by biopsy and/or by the presence of esophageal varices. Seven patients with albumin synthesis rates of 42-105 mg/kg per day demonstrated the lowest serum cholesterol esters and highest serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT) levels, while the seven patients whose albumin synthesis rates ranged from 203-378 mg/kg per day, had significantly higher cholesterol ester levels and significantly lower values for SGOT. The serum albumin levels were equally depressed in all patients. In patients with cirrhosis and ascites albumin production was found to be normal or elevated in seven of the 19 subjects, and only markedly depressed in seven patients, in spite of the fact that the serum albumin level was depressed in all patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1969

Albumin to ascites: demonstration of a direct pathway bypassing the systemic circulation.

The transport of plasma albumin and newly made albumin into ascitic fluid was studied in eight patients with cirrhosis and ascites. The thoracic duct was cannulated in two patients and lymph collected over a period of 2 hr. Simultaneously albumin-(131)I and carbonate-(14)C were injected intravenously. The albumin-(131)I measured the transfer of plasma albumin into ascites and into thoracic duct lymph. The carbonate-(14)C, by labeling newly formed albumin, permitted the estimation of the transfer of newly formed albumin into plasma, ascites, and lymph. If the newly synthesized albumin entering ascites and thoracic duct lymph is delivered initially into the plasma, then the ratios of the albumin-(14)C and -(131)I in ascites and lymph compared with the content of albumin-(14)C and -(131)I in plasma would be identical. However, if some newly formed albumin is delivered directly into ascites or lymph, the ratio for albumin-(14)C would be higher than that for albumin-(131)I in lymph or ascites. The ratios of both labeled albumins found in ascites or lymph are expressed as per cent of the total plasma pool. In the eight patients studied 4.2-11.7% of the albumin-(14)C in plasma was found in ascites in 2 hr whereas only 0.4-2.2% of plasma albumin-(131)I entered in this same period. In the two patients studied during thoracic duct lymph drainage 6.1 and 13.5% of newly made albumin-(14)C appeared in lymph in 2 hr whereas only 2.8 and 3.8% of plasma albumin-(131)I was found in the lymph. In cirrhosis with ascites some newly formed albumin entered ascites and thoracic duct lymph by a direct pathway from the liver bypassing the systemic circulation.

Albumins↗

PubMed1968

Effect of acute overload on cardiac muscle mRNA.

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Amino Acids↗

PubMed1968

Effects of a short-term fast on albumin synthesis studied in vivo, in the perfused liver, and on amino acid incorporation by hepatic microsomes.

Carbonate-(14)C was used to label the hepatic intracellular arginine pool and direct measurement of albumin synthesis was made in six rabbits before and after an 18-36 hr fast. 18 perfusion studies were performed with livers derived from fed and fasted rabbits (18-24 hr). Microsomal amino acid-incorporating ability with leucine-(3)H and phenylalanine-(14)C was compared in 17 studies, using microsomes isolated from livers taken from fed and fasted rabbits and from isolated perfused livers whose donors were fed and fasted. Albumin synthesis is rapidly inhibited by fasting. Albumin synthesis decreased 33% in vivo and 53% in the perfused liver. The microsomes from perfused livers taken from fed animals did not demonstrate a significantly reduced capacity to incorporate leucine-(3)H or phenylalanine-(14)C into protein. Microsomes derived from perfused and nonperfused livers whose donors were fasted incorporated 32-54% less tracer than microsomes obtained from fed donor rabbits. Microsomes separated from perfused livers removed from fed and fasted rabbits responded to polyuridylic acid stimulation and phenylalanine-(14)C incorporation rose from 58 to 171%. An 18-36 hr fast inhibits albumin production in vivo and in the perfused liver. The microsomal system is less active in the fasted state and perfusion per se does not inhibit the microsomal response.

Albumins↗

PubMed1968