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Supplementing Arginine during Sepsis: from Theory to Clinical Practice

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Intensive Care Medicine

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Abstract

Arginine has important roles in the transport, storage, and excretion of nitrogen by disposition of ammonia via the urea cycle. Moreover, arginine is pivotal in metabolic functions since it serves as a precursor of nitric oxide (NO), polyamines, and other molecules. Humans obtain arginine from dietary sources and by endogenous synthesis. In humans, arginine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid since stress conditions with increased arginine demand such as sepsis and inflammation indicate that exogenous arginine is required for a positive nitrogen balance.

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  1. M. Poeze
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  2. M. J. Bruins
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-Louis Vincent MD, PhD, FCCM, FCCP (Head) (Head)

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Poeze, M., Bruins, M.J. (2003). Supplementing Arginine during Sepsis: from Theory to Clinical Practice. In: Vincent, JL. (eds) Intensive Care Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5548-0_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5548-0_10

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