title: Enhancement of postoperative recovery by preoperative oral co-administration of the amino acids, cystine and theanine, in a mouse surgical model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glutathione (GSH) is important in the control of immune responses, and its levels decline following trauma. We previously reported that the oral administration of cystine/theanine (CT) increased GSH synthesis and that CT intake inhibited intense exercise-induced inflammation. Based on these results, we hypothesised that CT inhibits surgically induced inflammation and promotes postoperative recovery. Our aim was to confirm this hypothesis using a mouse surgical model.
  
  
  METHODS
  CT or a vehicle (V) was administered orally to mice once a day for 5 days, until the day of surgery. On the day of surgery, a sham operation or an intestinal manipulation was performed 2 h after the oral administration of CT or V. Levels of IL-6 in the blood and GSH in the intestine were analysed 2 h after surgery. Behavioural analysis was also undertaken after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with CT inhibited the manipulation-induced increase in IL-6 in the blood and decrease in GSH in the intestine. There was a significant negative correlation between IL-6 in the blood and GSH in the intestine. In addition, behavioural analysis revealed that CT administration improved locomotor activity and food intake after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that CT suppresses inflammatory responses by inhibiting the surgically induced decrease in GSH in the small intestine and promotes postoperative recovery.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co, Inc, 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 210-8681, Japan. tetsuro_shibakusa@ajinomoto.com
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibakusa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Shigekazu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyachi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.forename: Kenji A K
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D003553:Cystine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005971:Glutamates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism; D016014:Linear Models; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003553:Cystine; C026166:theanine; D005978:Glutathione