BODY ENERGY STATUS AND THE METABOLIC RESPONSE TO ACUTE-INFLAMMATION

An animal model of acute inflammation was used to examine how body ene rgy status influences the syndrome of anorexia, negative nitrogen bala nce, and body weight loss typically seen in response to injury. Specif ically, the metabolic response to acute inflammation was studied in ra ts of normal, elevated, or reduced body weights. Rats induced to overe at and gain weight prior to inflammation displayed protracted anorexia , greater subsequent weight loss, higher metabolic rates, and greater negative energy balance than rats of normal weight. Conversely, rats w ith reduced body weights displayed elevated food intakes, body weight gain, attenuated nitrogen loss, and normal rates of energy expenditure . Prior weight reduction did not affect postinflammation fever or leve ls of fibrinogen, iron, and interleukin-6-like activity, suggesting th at the ability to mount an acute phase response was not impaired in we ight-reduced rats. These results suggest that the usual postinflammati on adjustments in body energy flux and body nitrogen are regulated com ponents of a metabolic response to acute inflammation which renders no rmally protected sources of endogenous energy and substrate available for repair and recovery.