1. Intramuscular concentrations of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate were measured in the vastus lateralis muscle of 28 non-septic malnourished patients and 31 septic malnourished patients. Similar measurements were made on the rectus abdominis muscle of about one-third of these patients. All results were compared with those obtained from 15 normally nourished non-septic control subjects.
2. Objective measurements of nutritional status (both anthropometric and biochemical) and sepsis were recorded in all subjects.
3. The vastus lateralis muscle of the non-septic and septic malnourished patients had intramuscular concentrations of ATP and total adenine nucleotides (TAN) that were up to 30% lower than control values, depending on the reference base used.
4. In the rectus abdominis muscle, ATP and TAN concentrations were up to 60% lower than control values, and creatine phosphate up to 47% lower, again depending on the reference base used.
5. In both muscles, the changes were more marked in those patients who were septic as well as malnourished.
