Mediators of Fever and Muscle Proteolysis

The accelerated catabolism of skeletal-muscle protein that accompanies severe trauma or infection can now be ascribed to the actions of endogenously produced mediators.

Abstract

The accelerated catabolism of skeletal-muscle protein that accompanies severe trauma or infection can now be ascribed to the actions of endogenously produced mediators. Two noteworthy studies described1 , 2 in this issue of the Journal have identified these actions by using in vitro preparations of rat skeletal muscle in a bioassay. Rates of proteolysis in muscle preparations were determined by measuring the release of free amino acid into the medium.Clowes et al.1 isolated and partially characterized a small glycopeptide from the plasma of patients with sepsis or trauma. When compared with control samples of normal plasma, samples containing the mediator were . . .