Amino Acids in Arterial and Hepatic Venous Blood of Patients with Laennec's Cirrhosis

Abstract

Summary Simultaneous hepatic venous and femoral arterial blood specimens were obtained in 14 patients with Laennec's cirrhosis and in 2 subjects with normal liver function. The amino acid patterns of the blood specimens were compared by means of paper chromatography. The most consistent differences between the arterial and hepatic venous blood specimens were a posthepatic fall in a-alanine and a rise in glutamic acid. The pre- and posthepatic blood amino acid differences varied considerably among subj ects in the fasting state, but were not appreciably changed by decreases in liver blood flow induced by injections of Pitressin. In 2 subjects the differences between arterial and hepatic venous blood were greatly changed by an amino acid infusion and by milk ingestion, respectively. The 1 patient with a much greater hepatic venous glutamic acid concentration than any of the other subjects had Korsakoff's psychosis.