it has been reported that profound adaptive responses involving alterations in metabolic properties occur in the skeletal muscles of horses undergoing various forms of physical training . dramatic increases in the concentration of mitochondria and concomitant increases in the concentration of oxidative enzymes involved in atp production have been frequently documented . in contrast , the anaerobic potential of equine skeletal muscle is intrinsically high and is not greatly influenced by altered patterns of physical activity or nutrition . accordingly , horses already involved in training programs , provide a particularly appropriate model for evaluating a composition designed to increase intracellular synthesis of atp . to establish the efficacy of the present invention , seven standard - bred horses already involved in training programs were selected . each of the horses had hematological and blood chemistry studies performed prior to or at the outset of atp baseline determinations . blood samples were collected from each subject two to three times a week for a period of twenty - five days while the horses continued to receive their normal training ration of feed . blood samples were drawn into acd blood tubes ( 8 . 5 ml blood , 1 . 5 ml anti - coagulent ); samples were held on ice until refrigerated at 4 ° c . whole blood was analyzed for levels of atp within twenty - four hours after bleeding using the sigma test kit procedure , sigma diagnostics , p . o . box 14508 , st . louis , mo . 63178 . in plasma , atp is present in trace amounts at best . for this reason , atp assay procedures require that blood cells be ruptured . hence , the atp level found in such an assay is directly related to the intracellular level of atp . the procedure for atp determination is based on the action of the enzyme phosphoglycerate phosphatase to form 1 , 3 diphosphoglycerate from atp and 3 - phosphoglycerate . the enzyme glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase catalyzes the reation to form glyceraldehyde - 3 - p and nad + p , thus causing a reduction in the absorbance at 340 nm wavelength . the reaction , then , is limited by the amount of atp present , and the reduction in absorbance is proportional to the atp present . after the initial twenty - five day period , four of the subjects received eight ounces daily ( 4 oz . in a . m . feed , 4 oz . in p . m . feed ) of a mixture containing the composition of the present invention and a group of nutritional elements . the remaining three subjects received four ounces daily ( 2 oz . in a . m . feed ,- 2 oz . in p . m . feed ) of the same mixture . the nutritional elements were combined with the present invention primarily to make it more palatable to the horses and to provide additional vitamins and minerals . the most preferred composition of the present invention is set out in table i along with the acceptable weight ranges of the individual components . table ii sets out the nutritional elements combined with the present invention in their preferred weight ratios . table i______________________________________component preferred acceptable______________________________________l - glycine 0 . 6 kg 0 . 5 kg - 0 . 7 kgl - arginine 2 . 4 kg 2 . 2 kg - 2 . 6 kgd / l methionine 12 . 0 kg 10 . 8 kg - 13 . 2 kgcholine chloride 10 . 1 kg 9 . 1 kg - 11 . 1 kginositol 8 . 9 kg 8 . 0 kg - 9 . 8 kgl - aspartic acid 8 . 9 kg 8 . 0 kg - 9 . 8 kgl - tryptophan 2 . 6 kg 2 . 3 kg - 2 . 9 kgl - phenylalanine 2 . 1 kg 1 . 9 kg - 2 . 3 kgl - histidine 2 . 0 kg 1 . 8 kg - 2 . 2 kgl - proline 1 . 5 kg 1 . 4 kg - 1 . 7 kgd - ribose 8 . 9 kg 8 . 0 kg - 9 . 8 kgmagnesium phosphate 7 . 7 kg 6 . 9 kg - 8 . 5 kgtotal 67 . 7 kg 60 . 9 kg - 74 . 6 kg______________________________________ table ii______________________________________component______________________________________lactalbumin 300 . 00 kgyeast culture ( saccharomyces cerevisiae ) 340 . 90 kgdried beet molasses 181 . 80 kgdicalcium phosphate 90 . 90 kgsodium bicarbonate 22 . 70 kgmulti - vitamin mixture ( vitamin a , vitamin d3 , 45 . 45 kgvitamin e , vitamin b12 , riboflavin , niacin , pantothenic acid , menadione , folic acid , thiamine , pyridoxine , ascorbic acid and biotin ) lignan sulphate 13 . 07 kgflavoring agents 1 . 36 kgtotal 996 . 18 kg______________________________________ background information for each horse was collected regarding training performance , stamina , race times and results , and general history . a daily journal was maintained by the trainer for each horse during the study period . dietary supplementation with the present invention had a marked effect on the level of atp in the subjects &# 39 ; blood . as noted above , the blood level of atp is directly related to the level of atp inside the cell . fig1 illustrates atp blood levels for all seven subjects before and after dietary supplementation . as a group , after supplementation , subjects had a mean increase ( percentage increase ) of atp blood levels of 23 . 54 %. fig2 - 8 illustrate that each individual subject showed marked increase in atp blood levels ranging from a high of 38 . 4 % ( fig2 ) to a low of 11 . 8 % ( fig8 ). fig9 - 12 illustrate the correlation between increased blood levels of atp and improved performance levels for four of the seven subjects . fig9 - 12 correspond to subjects 1 , 3 , 4 and 7 respectively . since these four subjects continue to race competitively and train accordingly , they generated sufficient data to form the basis for an atp blood level / performance level correlation . the solid line on each of the figures illustrates , in alternate form , the data expressed in the bar graphs of fig1 ∝ 8 . that is , dietary supplementation with the present invention produces a marked increase in atp blood levels over the levels found in the period immediately preceding the start of supplementation . the broken line on each of fig9 - 12 illustrates the mean atp blood level for the period immediately preceding supplementation and the period of supplementation . the solid double line in each of the fig9 - 12 illustrates the correlation between increased blood levels of atp and increased performance levels . as noted above , background information for each subject was collected regarding training performance , stamina , race times and results , and general history . the background information was compiled over a period of approximately one year , the period coinciding with the racing season completed prior to the initiation of dietary supplementation with the present invention . the background information consists of quantitative data such as race times , split times and race results . in addition , the background information includes subjective evaluations of the horses by their trainers . the background information collected on each subject was used to establish an average expected behavior or zero rating for each horse . the zero rating was established by evaluating each subject on the basis of four criteria : speed , stamina , aggressiveness and vitality . each subject was given a rating for each of the four criteria based on a scale of - 5 to + 5 . once the zero rating for each subject was established , the horses were again evaluated according to the four criteria during the twenty - five day period preceding dietary supplementation and for the period of dietary supplementation . the second and third sets of evaluations resulted in a performance rating relative to the previously determined zero rating for each of the periods just mentioned . as fig9 - 12 clearly illustrate , each of the subjects had a performance level very near to or below their zero rating for the twenty - five day period preceding the initiation of supplementation . however , fig9 - 12 also clearly indicate that as atp blood levels increased during the period of dietary supplementation , performance levels increased to the point where , by the end of the supplementation period , each of the subjects had a performance rating well above the subject &# 39 ; s zero rating . in fact , two of the subjects , number 4 , a four - year - old , and number 7 , a seven - year - old , established new life - time race marks . it is important to note that at no time during the study were trainers informed of any blood test results . to demonstrate that the composition of the present invention increases the rate of wound repair , another series of experiments were conducted wherein the composition was applied to excised wounds on the dorsum of laboratory rats . this was performed as follows : male sprague - dawley rats ( 250 - 300 g , charles river breeding laboratories , willmington , me .) were anesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine / rompun ( 90 mg / ketamine and 10 mg / rompun ). each rat was given a single full - thickness excized wound 2 . 5 cm in diameter over the dorsal midline . while the rats were anesthetized , photographs were taken to represent zero time ( initial size [ area ]) compared to a second photograph taken ten days later . for forty - eight hours post - surgery , all animals were maintained on analgesic levels of acepromazine ( 0 . 015 %) in their water supply , which eliminated signs of discomfort from the wounds . after the experimental period , the rat were euthanized and skin sections prepared for sub - stage illumination and photographic measurement of final wound area . at this time , the wounded areas were dissected free from surrounding tissue , weighed and frozen in dry ice / acetone for future atp determination . the process required 45 seconds from the removal of the skin section to freezing in a weighing boat for atp analysis . the procedures used for atp determination were the same as those outlined above using the sigma diagnostic test kit . the experimental design consisted of eight ( 8 ) groups containing six ( 6 ) rats each with treatment summarized as follows : group 1 -- composition of the present invention ( 1 % composition in sterile isotonic saline ). the most preferred composition is set out in table iii along with the acceptable weight ranges of the individual components . group 2 -- atp solution ( 33 mg per ml in sterile isotonic saline ). group 3 -- a solution containing both the composition and atp combined to give the same concentrations above . group 4 -- the composition in a gel ( 10 % avalon gel containing 1 % of the compostion ). group 5 -- atp in a gel ( 10 % avalon gel containing 33 mg per ml added in sterile saline ). group 6 -- the composition and atp combined in 10 % avalon gel to provide the same concentrations as above . table iii______________________________________composition of atp - e preferred acceptablecomponent grams grams______________________________________l - glycine 8 . 9 8 . 0 - 9 . 8l - arginine 35 . 4 31 . 9 - 38 . 9d / l methionine 177 . 2 159 . 5 - 194 . 9choline chloride 149 . 2 134 . 3 - 164 . 1inositol 131 . 5 118 . 3 - 144 . 7l - aspartic acid 131 . 5 118 . 3 - 144 . 7l - tryptophan 38 . 4 34 . 6 - 42 . 2l - phenylalanine 31 . 0 27 . 9 - 34 . 1l - histidine 29 . 5 26 . 5 - 32 . 4l - proline 22 . 2 20 . 0 - 24 . 4d - ribose 131 . 5 118 . 4 - 144 . 7magnesium phosphate 113 . 7 102 . 3 - 125 . 1 1000 . 0 900 . 0 - 1100 . 0______________________________________ treatments with the above solutions and gels were administered once daily in the first trial reported here . in the second trial , solutions and gels were applied three times daily for the first three days , then once daily for seven days . each application consisted of either 0 . 5 ml of solution or 0 . 5 g of gel . at the end of the ten day period in both trials , the rats were euthanized and wound tissues taken for study . the procedure for wound size measurements was as follows : wound size measurements were made from standardized photographs , and area was determined with a planimeter . the sections were photgraphed with standardized magnification , and planimetric measurement was made of the wound outline . a metric scale in the plane of the wound assured reproducable determinations . wound weights were determined by making an excision of the entire wound down to the panus . fig1 shows the correlation between wound area surface and wound weight , thus providing a basis for determinations on either weight or area . after each wound was removed it was immediately frozen at - 80 ° c . for wound weight and atp determinations . the concentration of atp was determined in wound tissue by mincing the entire section containing granulation tissue . the atp levels were expressed as atp milligram / 10 g of tissue . the data set out in table iv below demonstrates that a single daily application of the composition as a solution produced a rate of closure which was 17 . 8 % faster than wounds treated with sterile isotonic saline ( control ). when the composition was applied as a gel , the rate was 1 . 2 % faster . the composition applied three times a day as a solution produced a marked improvement over treatments applied once each day . the data shown in table v demonstrates these improvements , wherein composition treated wounds had a mean reduction of 37 . 1 %, atp 31 . 2 % and the mixture composition / atp 37 . 3 %. the values for percent reduction are based on a decrease in wound weight compared to the mean wound weight of 1 . 153 for the isotonic saline treated control wounds . table iv______________________________________percent increase in contraction rate overcontrol when applied once each day for 10 days % increase differ - overgroup initial final ence control * ______________________________________i composition soln . 59 . 3 (+ 12 . 3 ) 77 . 3 17 . 8 136 . 6 (+ 7 . 30 ) ii atp soln . 61 . 1 (+ 94 ) 69 . 4 5 . 8 130 . 5 (+ 12 . 8 ) iii composition gel 61 . 5 (+ 13 . 2 ) 66 . 4 1 . 2 127 . 9 (+ 6 . 7 ) iv atp gel 71 . 9 (+ 7 . 4 ) 61 . 6 ( 6 ) 133 . 5 (+ 5 . 8 ) v saline gel control 64 . 3 (+ 11 . 5 ) 71 . 3 -- 135 . 6 (+ 5 . 5 ) vi isotonic saline conrol 72 . 3 (+ 14 . 4 ) 65 . 6 -- ______________________________________ * value for difference ( initial minus final ) for treated minus that difference for control divided by control times 100 equals percent increase in contraction rate .? table v______________________________________percent reduction in wound weightwound weight percent reduction * ______________________________________group i composition1 -- -- 2 0 . 832 27 . 93 -- -- 37 . 1 ± 7 . 34 0 . 627 45 . 65 0 . 706 38 . 76 0 . 736 36 . 2group ii atp1 0 . 765 33 . 72 0 . 855 25 . 93 1 . 053 8 . 7 31 . 2 ± 13 . 94 0 . 614 46 . 85 0 . 838 27 . 46 0 . 642 44 . 4group iii mixture composition / atp1 0 . 887 23 . 12 0 . 708 38 . 63 0 . 700 39 . 3 37 . 3 ± 8 . 24 0 . 734 36 . 45 0 . 589 48 . 96 0 . 721 37 . 5group viii isosaline control , valued used for above calculationscalculations was 1 . 153 ± 0 . 1311 1 . 2702 1 . 1313 0 . 9764 1 . 2345 1 . 0266 1 . 284______________________________________ * the control value minus treated value and that difference divided by the control times 100 yields percent reduction . fig1 shows the relationship between wound surface area and wound weight . the linear relationship between weight and area suggests that weight measurements may be a useful means for determining wound contraction . the bar graph shown in fig . 14 depicts the increased rate of contraction for composition / atp mixture gels compared to control gels . although the gel treated wounds contracted faster than controls , they did not contract as fast as the solution treated wounds . however , in each group wounds treated with the composition or the composition / atp mixture had greater rates of contraction than their counterparts . both solution and gel treatments , in addition to producing a marked reduction in wound weight , also reduced the amount of atp found in the wound . this is evident in tables vi and vii and in fig1 and 16 . while it is apparent both in gel and solution treated wounds that atp levels are reduced by the composition , the reduced level of atp at the wound site is not unexpected , since protein metabolism for wound repair and the wound contraction produced by the myofibroblasts both require significant amounts of energy in the form of atp . that is , additional intracellular atp synthesized by the cells in response to the present invention is quickly utilized for contraction , glueoneogenisis and protein synthesis . table vi______________________________________solutions applied to excised woundswound initial finalwt . od od atp atp / g mean______________________________________group1 0 -- -- -- -- 2 0 . 832 0 . 645 0 . 616 7 . 4 8 . 89 atp3 1 . 668 0 . 654 0 . 638 6 . 2 3 . 72 8 . 78 ± 2 . 574 0 . 627 0 . 654 0 . 631 8 . 0 12 . 8 tissue wt . 5 0 . 706 0 . 671 0 . 638 12 . 9 18 . 3 0 . 725 ± . 086 0 . 736 0 . 639 0 . 615 9 . 4 12 . 8groupii1 0 . 765 0 . 454 0 . 420 13 . 3 17 . 42 0 . 855 0 . 454 0 . 451 1 . 2 1 . 40 atp3 1 . 053 0 . 454 0 . 468 -- 8 . 9 ± 5 . 374 0 . 614 0 . 418 0 . 427 -- tissue wt . 5 0 . 838 0 . 418 0 . 450 11 . 7 14 . 0 0 . 794 ± . 1606 0 . 642 0 . 469 0 . 450 7 . 4 14 . 6groupiii1 0 . 887 0 . 631 0 . 591 15 . 6 17 . 62 0 . 708 0 . 445 0 . 485 -- atp3 0 . 700 0 . 423 0 . 436 -- 6 . 9 ± 6 . 184 0 . 734 0 . 423 0 . 417 2 . 3 3 . 1 tissue wt . 5 0 . 589 0 . 423 0 . 405 7 . 0 11 . 9 0 . 723 ± . 0956 0 . 721 0 . 609 0 . 602 2 . 7 3 . 7groupviii1 1 . 270 0 . 515 0 . 500 5 . 9 4 . 72 1 . 131 0 . 474 0 . 468 2 . 3 2 . 0 atp3 0 . 976 0 . 495 0 . 478 6 . 6 6 . 8 7 . 64 ± 4 . 754 1 . 234 0 . 477 0 . 478 -- tissue wt . 5 1 . 026 0 . 477 0 . 456 8 . 2 8 . 0 1 . 153 ± 0 . 1316 1 . 284 0 . 670 0 . 631 15 . 2 11 . 8______________________________________ table vii______________________________________gels applied to excised rat wounds ( three applications per day ) wound initial finalwt . od od atp atp / g mean______________________________________groupiv composition gel1 1 . 218 0 . 553 0 . 549 1 . 6 1 . 32 0 . 805 0 . 579 0 . 565 5 . 5 6 . 8 atp3 0 . 882 0 . 565 0 . 548 6 . 6 7 . 5 5 . 2 ± 2 . 54 1 . 139 0 . 565 0 . 548 6 . 6 5 . 8 tissue wt . 5 1 . 376 0 . 580 0 . 570 3 . 9 2 . 8 1 . 082 ± 0 . 2126 1 . 076 0 . 956 0 . 938 7 . 2 6 . 7group1 1 . 100 0 . 774 0 . 717 22 . 2 20 . 22 . 954 0 . 815 0 . 777 14 . 8 15 . 5 atp3 1 . 236 0 . 906 0 . 588 124 . 0 100 . 3 17 . 7 ± 3 . 04 1 . 158 0 . 749 0 . 704 17 . 6 15 . 2 tissue wt . 5 1 . 157 0 . 929 0 . 881 18 . 7 16 . 2 1 . 196 ± 0 . 2076 1 . 574 0 . 608 0 . 569 15 . 2 9 . 7group mixture composition / atp gelvi1 1 . 336 0 . 580 0 . 458 47 . 6 35 . 62 1 . 111 0 . 598 0 . 498 39 . 0 35 . 1 atp3 1 . 480 0 . 592 0 . 479 44 . 1 29 . 8 32 . 6 ± 5 . 74 1 . 338 0 . 678 0 . 568 42 . 9 32 . 1 tissue wt . 5 1 . 390 0 . 595 0 . 453 55 . 4 39 . 9 1 . 425 ± 0 . 2606 1 . 896 0 . 595 0 . 482 44 . 1 23 . 3group isosaline gelvii control1 1 . 073 0 . 635 0 . 520 44 . 9 41 . 82 1 . 540 0 . 628 0 . 520 42 . 1 27 . 3 atp3 1 . 219 0 . 604 0 . 476 49 . 9 40 . 9 36 . 9 ± 6 . 54 1 . 127 0 . 604 0 . 476 49 . 9 44 . 3 tissue wt . 5 1 . 256 0 . 577 0 . 465 43 . 7 34 . 8 1 . 285 ± 0 . 1926 1 . 496 0 . 617 0 . 494 48 . 0 32 . 1______________________________________ in summary , solutions and gels containing the composition of the present invention caused an improvement in wound closure rate over that of controls consisting of sterile isotonic saline . the wound repair rate appeared dose dependent in reference to the number of applications made ; that is , one application daily produced a 17 . 8 % faster rate of wound closure and three applications per day produced a 37 . 2 % faster rate . as in any other bioassay , dose related responses are significant from the standpoint of data validity . composition containing solutions and gels caused an improved wound closure rate over that of controls by increasing the available components for gluconeogenesis and protein synthesis . in addition , increased intracellular atp synthesized by the cells in response to the present invention was quickly utilized as an energy source for these processes and for the wound contraction mechanism . finally , the stoichiometry of wound weight to wound size was consistent as was the inverse relationship between wound weight and atp levels .
a composition of matter for increasing the intracellular synthesis of atp . the composition consists of amino acids , metabolites , electrolyte and a pentose sugar . when applied to wounds , the invention increases the rate of wound repair . when administered orally , the invention increases atp blood levels and physical performance levels .