Enteral Glutamine Administration in Critically Ill Nonseptic Patients Does Not Trigger Arginine Synthesis

Table 5

Tracer dynamics.

Tracer parameters and calculations	CON; mean (SEM)/median (IQR)	ALA-GLN; mean (SEM)/median (IQR)	Difference; CON versus ALA-GLN ()
Glutamine
RA GLN M + 1
IV	364.8 (57.5)	390.4 (40.0)	0.720
EN	787.5 (91.6)	606.3 (88.3)	0.173
Endogenous RA GLN	335.3 (62.3)	322.04 (39.4)	0.856
TTR% GLN M + 1
IV	4.88 (0.38)	4.88 (0.33)	0.997
EN	2.54 (0.35)	2.44 (0.25)	0.820
Splanchnic extraction GLN	48.2 (4.6)	48.4 (3.6)	0.965
Citrulline
RA CIT M + 5
IV	26.5 (4.7)	28.5 (5.5)	0.780
EN	51.7 (23.7; 69.2)	29.5 (20.8; 64.3)	0.462
Endogenous RA CIT	26.5 (4.7)	28.5 (5.5)	0.780
TTR% CIT M + 1
IV	1.99 (0.33)	1.13 (0.16)	0.031
EN	4.44 (0.47)	2.64 (0.46)	0.015
TTR% CIT M + 2
IV	0.29 (0.14)	0.21 (0.08)	0.622
EN	1.08 (0.21)	0.50 (0.19)	0.057
TTR% CIT M + 5
IV	4.31 (0.85)	4.06 (0.34)	0.791
EN	2.49 (2.25; 2.94)	1.98 (1.82; 2.29)	0.207
Splanchnic extraction CIT	33.0 (7.7)	44.8 (3.1)	0.185
Arginine
RA ARG M + 2
IV	76.6 (12.2)	75.0 (6.0)	0.907
EN	135.4 (106.8; 240.3)	121.3 (17.0)	0.374
Endogenous RA ARG	26.9 (25.0; 58.0)	31.8 (6.1)	0.336
TTR% ARG M + 1
IV	0.44 (0.13)	0.35 (0.09)	0.583
EN	0.97 (0.25)	0.83 (0.15)	0.624
TTR% ARG M + 2
IV	6.33 (0.76)	6.00 (0.50)	0.717
EN	3.73 (0.78)	3.26 (0.46)	0.593
TTR% ARG M + 5
IV	0.33 (0.06)	0.35 (0.07)	0.898
EN	0.25 (0.05)	0.30 (0.05)	0.500
Splanchnic extraction ARG	45.0 (6.2)	41.8 (6.4)	0.725
Conversion rates
Gln → Cit	13.4 (4.2)	6.3 (1.3)	0.121
Cit → Arg	0 (0–2.2)	1.3 (0.5–3.1)	0.135
Gln → Arg	3.2 (1.0)	2.4 (0.9)	0.539
Gln → Cit% of Gln	4.45 (0.91)	2.06 (0.42)	0.026
Gln → Cit% of Cit	47.8 (7.8)	24.8 (4.4)	0.018
Cit → Arg% of Cit	0 (0–10.8)	6.5 (1.3–12.5)	0.370
Cit → Arg% of Arg	0 (0–7.4)	5.3 (2.2–10.4)	0.131
Gln → Arg% of Gln	1.3 (1.0–1.4)	0.7 (0.3–1.3)	0.370

RA in µmol/kg/h, endogenous RA in µmol/kg/h, splanchnic extraction in %, TTR in %, and in µmol/kg/h.