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Protein/Amino Acid Metabolism and Nutrition in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Journal of Perinatology volume 21, pages 320–323 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

A large number of studies in recent years have described protein and nitrogen metabolism in the neonate. However, the majority of these data are difficult to interpret because of a number of confounding variables, particularly in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. In contrast, application of state-of-the-art tracer isotopic and molecular biology methods in isolated cell system and whole animals has resulted in major advances in our understanding of the regulation of protein breakdown, synthesis, and protein accretion. The following workshop summary reviews the recent developments in basic physiology of protein metabolism in cellular and animal models in relation to human preterm infants, and identifies the important areas toward which future basic and clinical research should be directed to provide for optimal nitrogen accretion and growth of the VLBW infant.

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Acknowledgements

The secretarial support of Joyce Nolan is gratefully appreciated. The authors thank all the participants, whose names could not be listed, for the highly productive discussions, and special thanks to Rebecca Johnson (Ross Laboratories) for her continued support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Schwartz Center for Metabolism and Nutrition, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

    Satish Kalhan MD

  2. USDA ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

    Dennis Bier MD

  3. Center for Research in Mothers and Children, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD

    Sumner Yaffe MD, Charlotte Catz MD & Gilman Grave MD

Authors
  1. Satish Kalhan MD
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  2. Dennis Bier MD
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  3. Sumner Yaffe MD
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  4. Charlotte Catz MD
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  5. Gilman Grave MD
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Additional information

Presented at a workshop held on November 18–19, 1999 at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. The workshop was sponsored by the Center for Research in Mothers and Children, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD), the USDA ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX), and the Schwartz Center for Metabolism and Nutrition, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH). This workshop was additionally supported by an unrestricted educational grant from the Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories (Columbus, OH).

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Kalhan, S., Bier, D., Yaffe, S. et al. Protein/Amino Acid Metabolism and Nutrition in Very Low Birth Weight Infants. J Perinatol 21, 320–323 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7210550

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