Elemental diet-induced bacterial translocation and immunosuppression is not reversed by glutamine.
Previously, we documented that bacterial translocation occurs in rats fed an elemental liquid diet (4.25% amino acids plus 28% glucose) for 7 days. Since controversy exists over the protective effect of glutamine on diet-induced bacterial translocation, we compared the effect of two elemental diets, one containing 0% and the other 30% of amino acids as glutamine. After 7 days on the test diets or chow (307 kcal/kg/day), the rats were killed and half the animals had their organs cultured for translocating bacteria; immune function was quantitated in the other half by measuring the blood, splenic, and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) blastogenic responses to the T-cell mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA). The incidence of bacterial translocation was higher in the rats fed the glutamine (88%) or nonglutamine (75%) elemental diets than in the chow-fed rats (13%) (p < 0.05). Both elemental diets equally reduced the blastogenic response of lymphocytes harvested from all three lymphoid compartments (blood, spleen, MLN) (p < 0.01 vs. chow). The percentage of reduction averaged 30% to 40% when PHA was used as the test mitogen and 50% to 70% when ConA was used. These results indicate that glutamine does not prevent elemental diet-induced bacterial translocation or immune suppression.
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Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport 71130-3932.
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Thirstrup
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Berg
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Deitch
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D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005526:Food, Formulated; D005973:Glutamine / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008643:Mesentery / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D005973:Glutamine; D003208:Concanavalin A