Arginine and citrulline and fetal hypotrophy ? part II

Introduction. According to literature, good clinical results were obtained for trials of fetal hypotrophy treatment with exogenous L-arginine. Aim. The aim of the paper was to compare of arginine and citrulline (arginine’s metabolite in human body) concentrations in blood of pregnant women in cases of fetal hypotrophy treated with L-arginine with the group of healthy pregnant. Materials and methods. Control group - 24 women at III trimester of physiological pregnancy. Examined group – 29 women at III trimester of pregnancy with diagnosed fetal hypotrophy treated with L-arginine at a dose of 3g a day. Amino acids determination was performed by the method of HPLC. Results. Average concentration of arginine amounted to 108.79 µmol/l and citrulline to 61.59 µmol/l in group of healthy pregnant women. In group of women with hypotrophy arginine concentration amounted to 109.45 µmol/l and after the treatment it increased to 146.47 µmol/ l, while citrulline concentrations were found to achieve levels of 65.11 µmol/l and 155.33 µmol/ l, respectively. Conclusions. Arginine and citrulline concentrations in blood serum of pregnant women with fetal hypotrophy were on the level characteristic for women with physiological pregnancy. After treatment with L-arginine statistically significant increase of arginine and citrulline concentrations in blood serum of pregnant with hypotrophy occurred in comparison to the values obtained before the treatment and for control group