Prevention of bacterial translocation using glutamine: a new strategy of investigation.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the role of glutamine (Gln) on bacterial translocation in an intestinal obstruction model by using Escherichia coli labeled with technetium 99m (99mTc-E. coli).


METHODS
Intestinal obstruction was performed by a single ligature of the terminal ileum in rats. Animals in the control group (group 1) were sham operated (not obstructed). Experimental group 2 had intestinal obstruction. Groups 1 and 2 were not treated with Gln. Groups 3 and 4 were treated with Gln for 7 d before surgery with 250 and 500 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), respectively. A suspension containing 100 million colony-forming units/mL of (99m)Tc-E. coli was injected into the lumen of the ileum. Twenty-four hours after surgery, blood, mesenteric lymph nodes, livers, spleens, and lungs were collected for determination of radioactivity. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed for statistical analysis. P <or= 0.05 was considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
Rats that had an intestinal obstruction showed a significant increase in 99mTc-E. coli translocation from the lumen to all organs investigated compared with the sham-operated group (P <or= 0.01). There was a significant difference between the intestinally obstructed group and Group 4 treated with Gln at 500 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) (P <or= 0.05), which did not occur in Group 3 treated with Gln at 250 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1).


CONCLUSIONS
The new method using 99mTc-E. coli was found to be suitable for studies of bacterial translocation. Gln did not prevent bacterial translocation but did significantly decrease the spread of 99mTc-E. coli among organs such as the liver, lung, and spleen. The effect of Gln in cases of intestinal obstruction was found to be dose dependent.
Radioisotope Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Mariana Andrade
MA
de Oliveira
Daniela Santos
DS
Lemos
Simone Odília Fernandes
SO
Diniz
José Virgílio
JV
Coelho
Valbert Nascimento
VN
Cardoso
D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D005973:Glutamine