title: The influence of parenteral glutamine and branched-chain amino acids on total parenteral nutrition-induced atrophy of the gut.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that the provision of glutamine and branched-chain amino acids would reverse the gut atrophy that accompanies parenteral nutrition. Three hundred seventy-five rats were randomized into 15 groups to receive either conventional parenteral nutrition, rat food, glutamine-enriched parenteral nutrition (0.5% to 2.5%), branched-chain amino acid-enriched parenteral nutrition (0.8% to 2.0%), or glutamine plus branched-chain amino acid-enriched parenteral nutrition (0.5%/0.4% to 1.25%/1/0%). When compared with effects of conventional parenteral nutrition, the infusion of either glutamine or branched-chain amino acids partially reversed, in a dose-dependent manner, atrophy of the small bowel as assessed by gut weight (p < .05), mucosal weight (p < .05), villous height (p < .05), crypt cell production rate (p < .05), and mucosal protein concentration (p < .05). There was no effect on the large bowel. These results suggest that the parenteral infusion of either glutamine or branched-chain amino acids partially reverses the small-bowel atrophy that is associated with the infusion of solutions of conventional parenteral nutrients.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Platell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCauley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCulloch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy / Q000517:prevention & control; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D005973:Glutamine