title: Preconditioning with L-alanyl-L-glutamine in a Mongolian gerbil model of acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of L-alanyl-L-glutamine (L-Ala-Gln) preconditioning in an acute cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model in gerbils.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), (60-100g), were randomized in 2 groups (n=18) and preconditioned with saline 2.0 ml (Group-S) or 0.75g/Kg of L-Ala-Gln, (Group-G) administered into the femoral vein 30 minutes prior to I/R. Each group was divided into three subgroups (n=6). Anesthetized animals (urethane, 1.5g/Kg, i.p.) were submitted to bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries during 15 minutes. Samples (brain tissue and arterial blood) were collected at the end of ischemia (T0) and after 30 (T30) and 60 minutes (T60) for glucose, lactate, myeloperoxidase (MPO), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione (GSH) assays and histopathological evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glucose and lactate levels were not different in studied groups. However glycemia increased significantly in saline groups at the end of the reperfusion period. TBARS levels were significantly different, comparing treated (Group-G) and control group after 30 minutes of reperfusion (p<0.05) in cerebral tissue. Pretreatment with L-Ala-Gln promoted a significant increase in cerebral GSH contents in Group-G at T30 (p<0.001) time-point compared with Group-S. At T30 and T60, increased levels of GSH occurred in both time-points. There were no group differences regarding MPO levels. Pyknosis, presence of red neurons and intracellular edema were significantly smaller in Group-G.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preconditioning with L-Ala-Gln in gerbils submitted to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion reduces oxidative stress and degeneration of the nucleus (pyknosis) and cell death (red neurons) in the cerebral tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza-CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vilma Leite de Sousa
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: José Reniclebson Feitosa de
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Sergio Botelho
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Antonio Ribeiro da
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Silva Filho
authors.forename: José Huygens Parente
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Leitão de
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005849:Gerbillinae; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning / Q000379:methods*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004151:Dipeptides; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D019344:Lactic Acid; C054122:alanylglutamine