Oral glutamine decreases bacterial translocation and improves survival in experimental gut-origin sepsis.
BACKGROUND
Glutamine has been shown to be an important dietary component for the maintenance of gut metabolism. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential benefit of glutamine-enriched diets on experimental gut-derived sepsis.


METHODS
BALB/c mice were fed either 2% glutamine-supplemented or 1% glycine-supplemented (near-isonitrogenous control) AIN-76A diets. Control mice received either nonsupplemented AIN-76A or regular Purina Rodent Laboratory Mouse Chow 5001 diets. After 10 days of feeding, the mice were transfused with allogeneic blood (from C3H/HeJ mice), and the feeding protocols were continued for an additional 5 days. The mice then underwent gavage with 10(10) Escherichia coli labeled with either indium-111 oxine or [14C]glucose followed immediately by a 20% burn injury. Some mice were observed 10 days postburn for survival rates. Others were killed 4 hours after burn, and the mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and spleen were harvested to determine radionuclide and bacterial colony counts. The percentages of viable translocated E coli were also calculated.


RESULTS
Mice fed glutamine-enriched diets had a lower degree of translocation (as measured by both radionuclide and bacterial counts) to the tissues than did the other groups and had an improvement in the ability to kill translocated E coli (as measured by the percentage of viable bacteria). Survival was significantly higher in the group fed 2% glutamine (81%) compared with the groups fed 1% glycine (36%), AIN-76A (35%), and Purina Rodent Laboratory Mouse Chow 5001 (36%) diets (p < .004).


CONCLUSIONS
Glutamine-supplemented enteral diets may exert important benefits in preventing gut-origin sepsis after trauma.
Gianotti
L
L
Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0558, USA.
Alexander
J W
JW
Gennari
R
R
Pyles
T
T
Babcock
G F
GF
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology
D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D005973:Glutamine