Elective abdominal operations alter the free amino acid content of the human intestinal mucosa.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a standard moderately severe surgical operation on the mucosal amino acid content of the duodenum and the colon. DESIGN: Open study. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. SUBJECTS: Nine patients who were to undergo elective open cholecystectomy. INTERVENTIONS: Endoscopically obtained biopsy specimens from the intestinal mucosa. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in the content of free amino acids in the duodenum and colon at three days postoperatively. RESULTS: The concentration of glutamine in the duodenum increased by 27% and that of glutamic acid by 34% after operation, whereas their content in colon remained unaltered. The concentration of branched chain amino acids increased by 26% in the duodenal mucosa after operation and by 24% in the colonic mucosa. The total concentration of amino acids (excluding taurine) increased by 9% in the duodenum, but remained unaltered in the colon. CONCLUSION: This study shows characteristic and consistent alterations in the free amino acid content of the intestinal tract after a moderately severe operation.