L-glutamine stimulates jejunal sodium and chloride absorption in pig rotavirus enteritis.
Rotavirus enteritis is the leading cause of diarrhea in infants worldwide. A research priority of the World Health Organization is to develop oral rehydration solutions containing amino acids or other additives that will stimulate intestinal absorption more efficiently than the current glucose-based oral rehydration solutions. Glutamine is the principal metabolic fuel of the small bowel and a putative stimulator of mucosal repair. This report describes the transport response to mucosal L-glutamine following intestinal injury caused by porcine rotavirus. Peak symptoms and mucosal damage were observed 2-7 days after oral rotavirus inoculation. In vitro transport studies of the maximally injured region, the midjejunum (80% reduction in lactase), surprisingly, showed transport responses to L-glutamine (30 mmol/L) and L-alanine (30 mmol/L) that were similar qualitatively and quantitatively to those observed in control tissue. Subsequent application of mucosal D-glucose (30 mmol/L) caused additional stimulation of electrogenic Na+ transport, but the response to glucose was blunted (P less than 0.05) in the infected tissues. Glutamine and alanine enhanced Na+ absorption to a similar degree (2-2.5 muEq.cm-2.h-1), but glutamine stimulated equal amounts of electrogenic and electroneutral NaCl absorption, whereas alanine had no significant effect on net Cl- flux. Glutamine is a potentially useful substrate for investigation in oral rehydration solutions for infant diarrhea.
Rhoads
J M
JM
Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Keku
E O
EO
Quinn
J
J
Woosely
J
J
Lecce
J G
JG
D000409:Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000187:drug effects; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005973:Glutamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007082:Ileum / Q000378:metabolism; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007579:Jejunal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012401:Rotavirus; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D013552:Swine
D002712:Chlorides; D005973:Glutamine; D012964:Sodium; D000409:Alanine