Franny Jongbloed

121 5 ABSENCE OF PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS PROTECT AGAINST HEPATIC IRI Livers from animals fed the non-protective 3-days of 30% DR showed a significantly increased number of neutrophils, suggesting an ongoing inflammatory response after IRI in this group (Figure 2D). Taken together, deprivation of essential amino acids methionine, leucine and tryptophan for three days induces protection against liver IRI similar to a 3-day protein-free diet independent of preoperative body weight loss and voluntary DR. The beneficial effects of Leu and Trp are more pronounced at six hours after IRI while the effects of all EAA-free diets are seen at 24 hours postoperatively. A B 0 20 40 60 80 100 Control (n=6) Methionine-free (n=6) Leucine-free (n=6) Tryptophan-free (n=6) Protein-free (n=6) 3d 30% DR (n=8) * * * * * Relative dietary energy intake (%) -3 -2 -1 0 1 80 85 90 95 100 105 Control (n=6) Protein-free (n=6) 3d 30% DR (n=8) Time (days) Relativebodyweight (%) -3 -2 -1 0 1 80 85 90 95 100 105 Leucine-free (n=6) Methionine-free (n=6) Tryptophan-free (n=6) Time (days) Relativebodyweight (%) C Figure 1. Food intake and body weight. (A) Relative dietary energy intake during the 3-day intervention. Mice fed a tryptophan-free consumed on average 9% fewer calories than mice fed the control diet. Mice fed a methionine-free diet had 44.2% fewer calories, while mice on a leucine- free diet consumed 45.2% fewer calories than mice fed the control diet. In comparison, mice fed a protein-free diet ate 39.1% fewer calories. (B+C). The 3-day nutritional interventions started at day -3 and hepatic IRI was induced at day 0, after which all mice received control chow. During the dietary intervention all mice, except the control chow fed group, showed a decrease in body weight. Postoperative day 1, mice that had been fed an essential amino acid (EAA)-free diet lost less body weight compared to the control mice. Besides that, the protein-free mice gained weight.