Estimation of skeletal muscle protein degradation in pigs by 3-mehtyhistine three pool model analysis

3-mehtyhistine(3MH), the end product of the muscle protein degradation, can not be reutilized for protein synthesis, and, therefore, is thought to be a marker of skeletal muscle protein breakdown. Injected with an intravenous dose of the labeled 3MH, the isotope disappearance in plasma was measured. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of 3-mehtyhistine metabolism of the pig, the paper discusses how to deduce the parameters of the three pool model, and estimate the muscle protein degradation.