Hepatic glutamine metabolism during endotoxemia in neonatal rats.
OBJECTIVE
The liver plays a central role during endotoxemia. We investigated the biochemical changes that occur in neonatal liver during early stages of endotoxemia.


METHODS
Twenty neonatal rats (10 to 15 d; n = 10/group) were studied. Endotoxemic rats received intraperitoneal injections of 300 microg/kg of 12.5 mg/L of lipopolysaccharide and control rats received isovolemic normal saline. Two hours after injection, all lipopolysaccharide-injected animals exhibited signs of endotoxemia. Livers were removed and extracted into 12% perchloric acid. 1H and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy measured hepatic levels of glutamine, glutamate, alanine, lactate, glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate, adenosine triphosphate, and adenosine diphosphate. Unpaired t test compared groups.


RESULTS
No mortality occurred during the first 2 h after injection. Endotoxemia significantly decreased hepatic levels of glutamine (P < 0.001), glucose (P = 0.047), and beta-hydroxybutyrate (P < 0.001). There was no difference in hepatic levels of glutamate (P = 0.050), alanine (P = 0.165), lactate (P = 0.478), adenosine triphosphate (P = 0.165), and adenosine diphosphate (P = 0.136) between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Early endotoxemia caused significant changes in the hepatic metabolism of glutamine, glucose, and beta-hydroxybutyrate. These findings increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of neonatal endotoxemia.
Vejchapipat
Paisarn
P
Surgery Unit, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom.
Eaton
Simon
S
Fukumoto
Koji
K
Parkes
Harry G
HG
Spitz
Lewis
L
Pierro
Agostino
A
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000009:adverse effects; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D005973:Glutamine