Methods For Investigation Of Amino Acid And Protein Metabolism

Containing all the new as well as classical methodologies used in the investigation of amino acid and protein metabolism in human and animal models, this book is needed because of the dramatic increase in research in this field. There is no other book currently on the market that covers these methods of investigation. Methods for Investigation of Amino Acid and Protein Metabolism explores areas such as amino acid transfer across tissue membranes, past and new applications using stable isotopes, protein synthesis in organs and tissues, and more. Because of the importance of research methods in the field of amino acid and protein nutrition and metabolism, this book facilitates the reader's integration of the concepts involved in these investigative research methods and their corollaries. In addition to helping any nutrition investigator design and conduct appropriate research protocols in this area of nutrition, this book assists students who are planning to investigate amino acid and protein metabolism in humans or laboratory animals.

A succinct review of hundreds of studies on the regulation of protein mass and protein turnover in the human body. The book summarizes the biochemistry of protein synthesis and breakdown, and explains the methods that are used to examine protein metabolism in humans, together with their limitations. Chapters review the effects of nutrition, hormones, metabolic substrates, and physical activity, while various topics of clinical interest include cancer, diabetes, tissue injury, pregnancy, renal disease, muscular dystrophies, and other conditions. Normal values are presented for turnover of proteins in the whole body and individual organs, and for turnover of many individual proteins. This is thus a valuable resource for physiologists, nutritionists, and clinicians interested in the regulation of body protein stores in health and disease. For scientists primarily interested in the basic aspects of protein metabolism, it shows how the basic knowledge is being applied to the study of humans.

Modern Methods in Protein Nutrition and Metabolism grew out of a series of seminars (Modern Views in Nutrition) held in 1989 at Iowa State University. These seminars and this book were financed primarily through the Wise and Helen Burroughs Lectureship endowment generously established by the late Dr. Wise Burroughs and his wife Helen. This book comprises 12 chapters, and begins with a focus on amino acid analysis in food and physiological samples. Succeeding chapters go on to discuss concepts and techniques on nitrogen balance; determination of the amino acid requirements of animals; and novel methods for determining protein and amino acid digestibilities in feedstuffs. Other chapters cover measurement of protein digestion in ruminants; evaluation of protein status in humans; surgical models to measure organ amino acid metabolism in vivo; and measurement of whole-body protein content in vivo. The remaining chapters discuss estimation of protein synthesis and proteolysis in vitro; isotopic estimation of protein synthesis and proteolysis in vivo; n-glycine as a tracer to study protein metabolism in vivo; and mathematical models of protein metabolism. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of human nutrition and medicine.

Parameters such as membrane transport, metabolism and protein incorporation govern the fate of amino acids in living tissue. Is it possible to use positron tomography to measure some of them, and what is their meaning in normal and pathological situations? These questions have been addressed for a long time and no satisfactory answer has yet been given. This book, which derives from an EEC workshop organized in the frame of the Concerted Action on `PET Investigation of Cellular Regeneration and Degeneration', held in Lyon in February 1992, gives the present state of knowledge in this field based on the most recent studies. Contributions from 24 leading European and American scientists are presented and discussed in the following four parts: biochemistry and animal studies; amino acids labelling with positron emittors, quality control and metabolites measurement; kinetic modelling of amino acids transport, metabolism, and protein incorporation; clinical use of amino acids. This book will aid and interest biochemists, radiochemists, pharmacologists, neurologists, oncologists and medical imaging scientists.

It is a commonly held belief that athletes, particularly body builders, have greater requirements for dietary protein than sedentary individuals. However, the evidence in support of this contention is controversial. This book is the latest in a series of publications designed to inform both civilian and military scientists and personnel about issues related to nutrition and military service. Among the many other stressors they experience, soldiers face unique nutritional demands during combat. Of particular concern is the role that dietary protein might play in controlling muscle mass and strength, response to injury and infection, and cognitive performance. The first part of the book contains the committee's summary of the workshop, responses to the Army's questions, conclusions, and recommendations. The remainder of the book contains papers contributed by speakers at the workshop on such topics as, the effects of aging and hormones on regulation of muscle mass and function, alterations in protein metabolism due to the stress of injury or infection, the role of individual amino acids, the components of proteins, as neurotransmitters, hormones, and modulators of various physiological processes, and the efficacy and safety considerations associated with dietary supplements aimed at enhancing performance.

This book is concerned with protein metabolism at the physiological, not the molecular level and particularly with studies on human beings. Protein turnover is a vital function, no less important than oxygen turnover, because of this over the last 20 years there has been an increase in the research on protein turnover in man, with parallel work on farm animals. Methods that have been used for measuring whole body protein turnover in man, the underlying problems and assumptions and the problems that have been encountered are discussed in this comprehensive book.