Methionine transsulfuration is increased during sepsis in rats

1 Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme Azoté, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Clermont-Ferrand-Theix, 63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, France; and 2 Centre de Recherches Nestlé, Vers chez les blanc, Lausanne 26, Switzerland Methionine transsulfuration in plasma and liver, and plasma methionine and cysteine kinetics were investigated in vivo during the acute phase of sepsis in rats. Rats were infected with an intravenous injection of live Escherichia coli, and control pair-fed rats were injected with saline. Two days after injection, the rats were infused for 6 h with [ 35 S]methionine and [ 15 N]cysteine. Transsulfuration was measured from the transfer rate of 35 S from methionine to cysteine. Liver cystathionase activity was also measured. Infection significantly increased ( P