TAURINE-SUPPLEMENTED TOTAL PARENTERAL-NUTRITION AND TAURINE STATUS OFMALNOURISHED CANCER-PATIENTS

The status of plasma taurine and whether its concentration can be infl uenced by total parenteral nutrition (TPN) was determined in 51 malnou rished fasting cancer patients after surgery and 7-14 days after start ing TPN providing 41 +/- 2 kcal, 0.30 +/- 0.02 gN.kg(-1).day(-1) and 4 0 mg pyridoxine. Plasma taurine was 50% lower in patients than in cont rol subjects. Plasma taurine was significantly greater than baseline o nly after 14 days of TPN. We also studied the effects of surgery and t aurine supplementation (8.6 mg.kg(-1).day(-1)) on plasma and urine tau rine concentrations in 12 malnourished patients. Preoperatively, all p atients had normal plasma taurine concentrations; postoperatively, it was in the deficient range in 4 patients. Taurine-supplemented patient s initially had higher than baseline concentrations; by day 10, none h ad subnormal levels. Subnormal taurine concentrations commonly occur i n malnourished postoperative cancer patients; surgery further precipit ates their fall. Plasma concentrations were maintained only with tauri ne-supplemented TPN.