Effects of early enteral nutrition supplemented with arginine on intestinal mucosal immunity in severely burned mice.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the effects of early enteral nutrition (EN) supplemented with Arginine (Arg) on intestinal mucosal immunity in severely burned mice.


METHODS
Forty-four mice were randomly assigned into four groups: a sham injury+EN group (n=10), a sham injury+EN+Arg group (n=10), a burn+EN group (n=12), and a burn+EN+Arg group (n=12) and the mice in two experimental groups received a 20% total body surface area (TBSA), full-thickness scald burn on the back. Then, the burned mice were given a 175 kcal/kg body wt/day of conventional enteral nutrition or an isonitrogenous and isocaloric enteral nutrition supplemented with Arg by gastric gavage for 7 days. There was isonitrogenous and isocaloric intake in two experimental groups. The mice in two control groups received the same procedures as above, except for burn injury. On day 7 after injury, all mice among four groups were euthanized and the entire intestine was harvested. Intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels, total lymphocyte yield, and lymphocyte subpopulations in Peyer's patches were analyzed. Levels of IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 in gut homogenates were also measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
Total lymphocyte yield, numbers of lymphocyte subpopulations, and intestinal IgA levels in the EN+ARG group were higher than those in the EN group (p<0.05). Levels of gut tissue cytokines were significantly altered with enteral Arg supplementation: levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased, and levels of IFN-gamma and IL-2 declined, when compared with the EN-fed mice (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggested that enteral nutrition supplemented with Arg has changed the cytokine concentrations in intestinal homogenates from a pro- to an anti-inflammatory profile, increased sIgA levels and changed lymphocytes in severely burned mice.
Department of Burns, The Northern Hospital, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110015, Liaoning, China.
Jun
J
Fan
Qingyan
Q
Meng
Guanghua
G
Guo
Yong
Y
Xie
Xuedong
X
Li
Yiping
Y
Xiu
Tairan
T
Li
Liang
L
Ma
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight; D002056:Burns / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D016207:Cytokines; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D001120:Arginine