Microdialysis of skeletal muscle in patients with and/or without sepsis was performed to assess changes in their interstitial metabolism. After institutional approval 7 critically ill patients were divided into two groups: group I. (n = 3) patient without sepsis and group II. (n = 4) patients with sepsis. Microdialysis probe CMA 60 (CMA, Microdialysis, Sweden, cut-off approx. 20 kDa) was inserted into musculus quadriceps femoris. Microdialysis with Ringer’s solution (flow rate 0.6 ml/min) was started. Sixty minutes samples were collected within 24 hours. Venous blood samples were taken in 4 hours intervals. Selected amino acids (AA) concentration in microdialysate and venous blood were estimated. There were lower interstitial concentrations of glutamine, alanine, isoleucine and tyrosine and higher serine concentrations in interstitial space of skeletal muscle in septic patients in comparison with non-septic patients. It could be concluded that there are some metabolic reasons for these differences in interstitial amino acid concentrations.

        Key words: microdialysis – sepsis – amino acids