ABSTRACT
The metabolic response to sepsis in the liver and intestine is important from a clinical standpoint for a number of reasons. Several of the acute phase proteins serve as immunomodulators or participate in tissue repair. In previous studies, survival in septic patients was dependent on a well-maintained protein synthesis in the liver. Recent studies provided evidence that acute phase proteins are synthesized not only by the hepatocyte but by the enterocyte as well,810 and the intestine may be an additional source o f acute phase proteins during sepsis and other critical illness. Part of the sepsis-induced increase in intestinal protein synthesis reflects increased pro duction in the enterocyte o f gut peptides, including vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and peptide YY (PYY).11 Some o f the gut peptides may be involved in sepsisinduced hemodynamic changes and in altered gastrointestinal motility.
