Polyamine Excretion in Depleted Patients With Gastrointestinal Malignancy: Effect of Perioperative Nutrition and Tumor Removal

Abstract

Polyamines, synthesized by all mammalian cells, are involved in protein and energy metabolism. We measured urinary excretion of polyamines, putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and their metabolites N ¹-acetylspermidine and N ⁸acetylspermidine, resting energy expenditure, and nitrogen excretion in 12 depleted patients with gastrointestinal malignancy during preoperative and postoperative parenteral nutrition and in 7 patients with multiple trauma receiving similar parenteral nutrition. During preoperative nutrition support, the excretion of putrescine (p < .05) and total polyamines (p < .01) increased by 420% and 60%, respectively. Increases in energy balance and resting energy expenditure during nutrition could entirely explain the observed changes in polyamine excretion. Preoperatively, the excretion of N ¹-acetylspermidine (p < .05), N ⁸acetylspermidine (p < .001) and total polyamines (p < .05) was higher in patients with a surgically noncurable tumor than in those with a surgically curable tumor. The energy balance and resting energy expenditure could also explain the differences in polyamine excretion between patients with surgically curable and noncurable disease, excluding the increased N ⁸-acetylspermidine. Postoperatively, the excretion of N ⁸-acetylspermidine in patients with multiple trauma without malignancy and in patients with palliative operation was similar, and was higher than in patients with a totally resected malignancy (p < .01). Our results suggest that the excretion of polyamines reflects the activity of energy metabolism in general and that polyamine excretion is not specific for any particular disease. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 16:226-231, 1992)