Oral glutamine attenuates surgical manipulation-induced alterations in the intestinal brush border membrane.
BACKGROUND
Our earlier work has shown that surgical manipulation of the intestine results in oxidative stress and mucosal damage along with alterations in the brush border membrane (BBM). Glutamine feeding is known to offer protection against damage to mucosa under various conditions and this study looked at the effect of oral supplementation of glutamine or glutamic acid in the intestinal BBM alterations after surgical manipulation.


METHODS
Control and rats pretreated for 7 days with 2% glutamine or glutamic acid or isonitrogenous amino acids, glycine, or alanine were subjected to surgical manipulation of the intestine. BBMs were isolated from the intestine and functional and structural alterations to these membranes were assessed and compared.


RESULTS
Surgical manipulation resulted in oxidative stress in the enterocyte BBM and these changes included a decrease in alkaline phosphatase activity and alpha-tocopherol content along with an increase in lipid peroxidation parameters. A decrease in glucose transport by the isolated BBM vesicles suggested functional impairment. Surgical manipulation also resulted in phospholipid degradation possibly mediated by PLA(2) and membrane protease activation. Glutamine or glutamic acid supplementation prevented these changes but not by glycine or alanine.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that oral glutamine or glutamic acid supplementation prior to surgery can offer protection to the intestine and this might prevent postsurgical complications.
Prabhu
Ramamoorthy
R
The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632004, India.
Thomas
Simmy
S
Balasubramanian
Kunisserry A
KA
D000409:Alanine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D005998:Glycine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007422:Intestines / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008871:Microvilli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis
D010743:Phospholipids; D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D005978:Glutathione; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D005947:Glucose; D000409:Alanine; D005998:Glycine