Dietary glutamine supplementation affects macrophage function, hematopoiesis and nutritional status in early weaned mice.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect that early weaning associated with the ingestion of either a glutamine-free or supplemented diet has on the functioning of peritoneal macrophages, hematopoiesis and nutritional status of mice.


METHODS
Swiss Webster mice were early weaned on their 14th day of life and distributed to two groups, being fed either a glutamine-free diet (-GLN) or a glutamine-supplemented diet (+GLN). Animals belonging to a control group (CON) were weaned on their 21st day of life.


RESULTS
The -GLN and +GLN groups had a lower lean body mass, carcass protein and ash content, plasma glutamine concentration and lymphocyte counts both in the peripheral blood and bone marrow when compared to the CON group (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation with glutamine reversed both the lower concentrations of protein and DNA in the muscle and liver, as well as the reduced capacity of spreading and synthesizing nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6 in cultures of peritoneal macrophages obtained from the -GLN group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that the ingestion of glutamine modulates the function of peritoneal macrophages in early weaned mice. However, a glutamine-supplemented diet cannot substitute maternal milk in respect to immunological and metabolic parameters.
Rogero
Marcelo Macedo
MM
Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. celo.tln@terra.com.br
Borelli
Primavera
P
Vinolo
Marco Aurélio Ramirez
MA
Fock
Ricardo Ambrósio
RA
de Oliveira Pires
Ivanir Santana
IS
Tirapegui
Julio
J
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005973:Glutamine / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008892:Milk / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011897:Random Allocation; D014886:Weaning
D005973:Glutamine