title: Glutamine is superior to glucose in stimulating water and electrolyte absorption across rabbit ileum.
abstract: L-Glutamine is the primary metabolic fuel of the intestinal mucosa. This in vivo study compares the effect of L-glutamine 50 mM with that of D-glucose 50 mM on water and electrolyte absorption in jejunal and ileal loops of healthy rabbits. Using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a nonabsorbable marker and an incubation at 37 degrees C, we found that absorption of water (P = 0.000), sodium (P = 0.002), potassium (P = 0.001), and chloride (P = 0.003) from the glutamine electrolyte solution was greater than from the glucose electrolyte solution in the ileum. A similar trend was shown in the jejunum. We conclude that L-glutamine may be a useful component to be tested in oral rehydration solutions for treating diarrheal dehydration.
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mahalanabis
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wahed
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D004573:Electrolytes; D014867:Water; D005973:Glutamine; D012964:Sodium; D005947:Glucose; D011188:Potassium