The effect of burn Subeschar tissue fluid on skeletal muscle and hepatic amino acid uptake in an experimental system in vitro

Burn injury is associated with major metabolic disturbances. Many factors or mediators are responsible for post-burn metabolic changes. The present study was designed to test the role of interstitial edema fluid from burn eschar in regulating amino acid transport into hepatic and muscle tissue. Subeschar tissue fluid (SEF) was collected from just under the full thickness burn area. Amino acid transport, determined as the uptake of [3H]-α-aminoisobutyric acid by incubated soleus muscles or liver slices in vitro, was reduced after the addition of subeschar tissue fluid. The suppression was more marked with fluids taken from patients with a large burn area. Significant findings were noted when the total surface burn area was more than 70%. There were significant differences in the SEF suppression effect between survivors and non-survivors, but not between inhalation and non-inhalation victims. The results suggest the presence of one or more factors in subeschar tissue fluid that inhibit both muscle and liver amino acid transport. The data also suggest that the inhibitory factors are most likely produced by the burned tissue. This suppression effect may be beneficial to burn victims in maintaining near-normal vascular osmolarity by way of an increased plasma amino acid level.