title: Alanine-glutamine dipeptide pretreatment protects rat renal function from small intestine ischemia-reperfusion injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oxidative injury can cause renal function impairment and failure. Glutathione, a free radical scavenger, plays in the kidney a central role in oxidant-related events. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential beneficial effect of glutamine, a precursor of glutathione in the form of alanine-glutamine dipeptide (AGD) on small intestine ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R)-induced oxidant renal damage in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats were subjected to intestinal I/R for 30 min, induced by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, followed by 60 min reperfusion. AGD pretreatment was given 48 and 24 hours before I/R. At the end of the experimental procedure the left kidney was excised and a thin tissue slice was obtained for electron microscopy study. Kidney biopsies were obtained for malonyl dialdehyde, myeloperoxidase, and glutathione assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intestinal I/R caused significant oxidative injury in rat renal parenchyma consisted of severe alterations observed in subcellular renal structures associated with a significant increase in renal malonyl dialdehyde levels and a significant decrease in renal glutathione levels. Changes regarding subcellular renal structures were ameliorated in AGD pre-treated animals in which renal glutathione levels did not decreased significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glutamine pretreatment in the form of AGD can prevent small bowel I/R-induced oxidant renal damage in rats.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kazantzidou
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsalis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vasiliadis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaldrymidou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koliakou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsali
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lazaridis
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D005973:Glutamine; D000409:Alanine