title: Effect of oral supplementation of ornithine-alpha-ketoglutarate on the intestinal barrier after orthotopic small bowel transplantation.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the possible protective effects of a glutamine and arginine precursor (ornithine-alpha-ketoglutarate [OKG]) on the mucosa of a transplanted intestine when administered with either a defined formula oral diet (DFD) or a standard chow. Isogenic male Lewis rats (250 g) were submitted to a laparotomy (groups 1 and 2) or to an orthotopic small bowel transplantation (SBT; groups 3-6). Groups 1, 3, and 5 received a DFD 14 days after surgery. Groups 2, 4, and 6 received standard chow. In addition, groups 5 and 6 received a daily oral supplementation of 1.4 g/kg of OKG. Weight changes and food intake were recorded daily. At the end of the study, bacterial translocation (BT) was measured in mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. The protein/DNA index was also determined in intestinal mucosa. SBT induced BT in all transplanted groups, especially in those fed DFD. Addition of OKG (groups 5 and 6) significantly reduced BT in comparison with groups 3 and 4 and improved the protein/DNA index as well as weight gain. It is concluded that OKG supplementation protects the intestinal barrier after SBT, and that this effect is more marked when it is added to a standard chow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Oca
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bettonica
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cuadrado
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallet
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Montañés
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jaurrieta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D001835:Body Weight; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004435:Eating; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D005526:Food, Formulated; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000637:transplantation*; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009952:Ornithine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: C002118:ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate; D004247:DNA; D009952:Ornithine