Short-Term Branched Chain Amino Acid Parenteral Nutrition in Liver Cirrhosis: A Dose-Related Effect on Plasma Amino Acids and Nitrogen Balance

Selective amino acid solutions and particularly branched chain amino acids (BCAA) or their keto-analogues have been successfully employed in treatment of hepatic encephalopathy,1,2 despite their pathophysiological role is still debated.3 Previous studies have documented their beneficial effects in ameliorating the neutral amino acid (NAA) pattern;1,4 but few data concerning the nitrogen balance are available in chronic and severe liver disease, where both hepatic and muscular utilisation of amino acids result impaired.5