HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kalhan, S. C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kalhan, S. C Agricola Articles by Kalhan, S. C

Protein metabolism in pregnancy^1,2,3,4

¹ From the Robert Schwartz MD Center for Metabolism and Nutrition and the Department of Pediatrics, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland.

Adaptation to pregnancy involves major changes in maternal metabolism to provide for the growing demands of the conceptus. Although changes in glucose metabolism, and possibly in fatty acid metabolism, occur in parallel with the increasing energy demands of the mother and the fetus, adaptation of protein metabolism appears to be in anticipation of maternal and fetal needs. During pregnancy, there is an excess of maternal nitrogen in the form of lean body mass over that deposited in the fetus and the products of conception; there is also a pregnancy-induced hypoaminoacidemia and a diminished amino acid response to protein intake, suggesting an increased uptake of amino acids in the splanchnic compartment. With the use of stable-isotope-labeled tracers, it was shown that there is a decreased rate of urea synthesis during pregnancy that is evident early in gestation. Kinetic studies of leucine metabolism showed no significant change in leucine carbon turnover but a significantly lower rate of leucine nitrogen turnover, suggesting a lower rate of leucine transamination. These data suggest an integral regulation of whole-body protein and nitrogen metabolism starting early in gestation and aimed at conservation and accretion of nitrogen by the mother and the fetus.

Key Words: Pregnancy • protein • urea • stable isotopes • leucine

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. C. Kalhan and P. S. Parimi Transamination of Leucine and Nitrogen Accretion in Human Pregnancy and the Newborn Infant J. Nutr., January 1, 2006; 136(1): 281S - 287S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. C. Connolly, L. N. Aglione, M. S. Smith, D. B. Lacy, and M. C. Moore Insulin action during late pregnancy in the conscious dog Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, June 1, 2004; 286(6): E909 - E915. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Kalhan, L. L. Gruca, P. S. Parimi, A. O'Brien, L. Dierker, and E. Burkett Serine metabolism in human pregnancy Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, April 1, 2003; 284(4): E733 - E740. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. L Duggleby and A. A Jackson Higher weight at birth is related to decreased maternal amino acid oxidation during pregnancy Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2002; 76(4): 852 - 857. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Mojtahedi, L. C. de Groot, H. A Boekholt, and J. M. van Raaij Nitrogen balance of healthy Dutch women before and during pregnancy Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2002; 75(6): 1078 - 1083. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. C. Metges Does Dietary Protein in Early Life Affect the Development of Adiposity in Mammals? J. Nutr., July 1, 2001; 131(7): 2062 - 2066. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C King Physiology of pregnancy and nutrient metabolism Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2000; 71(5): 1218S - 1225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]