title: Protective effects of glutamine dipeptide and alpha-tocopherol against ischemia-reperfusion injury in the isolated rat liver.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glutamine and vitamin E may prevent hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injuries. Our aim was to investigate the effects of glutamine, either alone or combined with vitamin E, against I/R in the isolated perfused rat liver.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of 8 livers from male Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated and submitted to a 45-min no-flow ischemia and reperfusion in the presence of alanine 2 mM, alanine 2 mM plus vitamin E 150 microM, Alanyl-Glutamine (AlaGln) 2 mM, or AlaGln 2 mM plus vitamin E 150 microM. Six non-perfused livers were studied in parallel. Liver function, metabolic parameters, oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters have been studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AlaGln was rapidly cleared from the perfusate (436+/-41 nmol min(-1) g(-1)) and lowered transaminase release during reperfusion (ALT: -59%), significantly so in the AlaGln+Vit E group (ALT: -65%, p<0.05). The association of glutamine with vitamin E led to lower degrees NO (-83%, p<0.05) production, better preserved hepatic glutathione content and, as with vitamin E alone, preserved hepatic vitamin A and significantly decreased malondialdehyde (-85%, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both glutamine, by attenuating inflammatory response, and vitamin E, via its antioxidative properties, showed complementary protective effects against I/R-induced hepatic injury. These data emphasize the potential benefit of combining glutamine and vitamin E supplementation in hepatic I/R injury.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition Biology EA 2498, Paris Descartes University, France.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: Marie-Céline
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonnefont-Rousselot
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakib
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Tourneau
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fürst
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cynober
authors.forename: Jean-Pascal
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: De Bandt