title: Hepatic glutamine metabolism during endotoxemia in neonatal rats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Surgery Unit, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paisarn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vejchapipat
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Harry G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Parkes
authors.forename: Lewis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pierro
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D005973:Glutamine