title: Effect of oral glutamine on enterocyte turnover during methotrexate-induced mucositis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral glutamine in preventing intestinal mucosal damage caused by methotrexate (MTX) in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 experimental groups: control rats, rats treated intraperitoneally with MTX (MTX rats) and rats treated with oral glutamine in the drinking water (2%) 72 h following intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of MTX (MTX-glutamine rats). Intestinal mucosal damage (Park's injury score), mucosal structural changes, enterocyte proliferation and enterocyte apoptosis were determined 72 h following MTX injection. RT-PCR was used to determine Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MTX-glutamine rats demonstrated greater jejunal and ileal mucosal weight and mucosal DNA, greater ileal villus height and crypt depth, and a greater index of proliferation in the jejunum and ileum compared to MTX animals. A significant decrease in enterocyte apoptosis in the ileum of MTX-glutamine rats (vs. MTX) was accompanied by decreased Bax and increased Bcl-2 mRNA expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with oral glutamine prevents mucosal injury and improves intestinal recovery following MTX injury in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Laboratory of Intestinal Adaptation and Recovery, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. igor-dr@internet-zahav.net
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sukhotnik
authors.forename: Jorge G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Mogilner
authors.forename: Rahel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karry
authors.forename: Benhoor
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shamian
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lurie
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokhanovsky
authors.forename: Benno M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ure
authors.forename: Arnold G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Coran
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate; D052016:Mucositis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D005973:Glutamine; D008727:Methotrexate