Document Detail


The effects of glutamine-supplemented diet on the intestinal mucosa of the malnourished growing rat.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  10983011     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the blood and plays a key role in the response of the small intestine to systemic injuries. Mucosal atrophy is an important phenomenon that occurs in some types of clinical injury, such as states of severe undernutrition. Glutamine has been shown to exert powerful trophic effects on the gastrointestinal mucosa after small bowel resection or transplant, radiation injury, surgical trauma, ischemic injury and administration of cytotoxic drugs. Since no study has been performed on the malnourished animal, we examined whether glutamine exerts a trophic effect on the intestinal mucosa of the malnourished growing rat. Thirty-five growing female rats (aged 21 days) were divided into 4 groups: control - chow diet; malnutrition diet; malnutrition+chow diet; and malnutrition+glutamine-enriched chow diet (2%). For the first 15 days of the experiment, animals in the test groups received a malnutrition diet, which was a lactose-enriched diet designed to induce diarrhea and malnutrition. For the next 15 days, these animals received either the lactose-enriched diet, a regular chow diet or a glutamine-enriched chow diet. After 30 days, the animals were weighed, sacrificed, and a section of the jejunum was taken and prepared for histological examination. All the animals had similar weights on day 1 of experiment, and feeding with the lactose-enriched diet promoted a significant decrease in body weight in comparison to the control group. Feeding with both experimental chow-based diets promoted significant body weight gains, although the glutamine-enriched diet was more effective. RESULTS: The morphological and morphometric analyses demonstrated that small intestinal villous height was significantly decreased in the malnourished group, and this change was partially corrected by the two types of chow-based diet. Crypt depth was significantly increased by malnutrition, and this parameter was partially corrected by the two types of chow-based diet. The glutamine-enriched diet resulted in the greatest reduction of crypt depth, and this reduction was also statistically significant when compared with control animals. CONCLUSIONS: Enteral glutamine has some positive effects on body weight gain and trophism of the jejunal mucosa in the malnourished growing rat.
Authors:
U Tannuri; F R Carrazza; K Iriya
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Revista do Hospital das Clínicas     Volume:  55     ISSN:  0041-8781     ISO Abbreviation:  Rev Hosp Clin Fac Med Sao Paulo     Publication Date:    2000 May-Jun
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2001-03-14     Completed Date:  2001-05-03     Revised Date:  2003-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0415246     Medline TA:  Rev Hosp Clin Fac Med Sao Paulo     Country:  Brazil    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  87-92     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Pediatric Surgery Laboratory (LIM-30) and the Pathology Divisions, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Atrophy
Body Weight
Dietary Supplements*
Enteral Nutrition
Female
Glutamine / pharmacology*
Intestinal Mucosa / drug effects*,  pathology
Jejunum / drug effects*,  pathology
Nutrition Disorders / pathology,  therapy*
Rats / growth & development
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
56-85-9/Glutamine

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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