title: Effect of glutamine on phagocytosis and bacterial killing by normal and pediatric burn patient neutrophils.
abstract: Glutamine is essential for the function of lymphocytes and macrophages, where it serves, among other things, as a source of energy. Little information is available concerning the fuel that polymorphonuclear cells use for their metabolic and bactericidal functions. It was the purpose of this study to determine whether glutamine would enhance the in vitro bactericidal function of normal neutrophils and whether the amino acid would restore the observed impaired function in burn patients to or above the normal level. Twelve burn patients with total body surface area burns ranging from 32% to 87% were studied. At various postburn times, neutrophils were isolated and their ability to kill Staphylococcus aureus in the presence and absence of glutamine was determined and compared with that in normal subjects. Glutamine enhanced the bactericidal function of normal neutrophils. In every patient, at all but two postburn times, glutamine caused an improvement in the observed abnormal neutrophil bactericidal function and often restored it to or slightly above the normal level. Glutamine had no effect on the expression of C3b receptors (CR1 or CD35) or on phagocytosis by the cells. This study confirms the beneficial effects of glutamine in at least one arm of the immune system and adds evidence for the possible advantage of including this amino acid in the diets of burn and other trauma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ogle
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ogle
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Noel
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D017463:Receptors, Complement 3b / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D017463:Receptors, Complement 3b; D005973:Glutamine; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine