title: Glutamine supplementation maintains intramuscular glutamine concentrations and normalizes lymphocyte function in infected early weaned pigs.
abstract: Numerous studies in humans and rats have shown that glutamine supplementation during stressful conditions has favorable outcomes. However, the requirements for glutamine during weaning are unknown. Thus, the effects of glutamine supplementation in healthy and infected weaned pigs were investigated. At 21 d of age, pigs were weaned to an elemental diet supplemented with glutamine (+Gln) or an isonitrogenous diet containing nonessential amino acids (-Gln). At 26 d of age, pigs were intraperitoneally injected with Escherichia coli (+Ecoli) or buffered saline (-Ecoli) and killed at 28 d of age. Infection decreased (P < 0.05) plasma and intramuscular glutamine concentrations, but infected pigs that received +Gln diets had higher intramuscular glutamine levels than those that received -Gln diets. Infected pigs had elevated (P < 0.05) total leukocyte counts, and blood lymphocyte responses ([3H]-thymidine incorporation) to a mixture of phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin were reduced. White blood cell counts were greater (P < 0.05) in +Gln than -Gln pigs. The peak responses to concanavalin A (Con A) by lymphocytes of +Ecoli+Gln pigs were greater (P < 0.05) than those of +Ecoli-Gln pigs and not different than those of noninfected pigs. Hence, glutamine supplementation maintained muscular glutamine concentrations and normalized lymphocyte function in infected pigs.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Metabolism Research Group, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences and Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: McBurney
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004926:Escherichia coli; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007107:Immune System / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects / Q000662:veterinary; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002273:Carcinogens; D007476:Ionophores; D005973:Glutamine; D003208:Concanavalin A; D015759:Ionomycin; D004247:DNA; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D013936:Thymidine