title: Effect of parenteral l-alanyl-l-glutamine administration on phagocytic responses of polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes in dogs undergoing high-dose methylprednisolone sodium succinate treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether parenteral l-alanyl-l-glutamine (Ala-Gln) administration modulated phagocytic responses of polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMNs) from dogs undergoing high-dose methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  15 healthy Beagles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dogs were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups (n = 5/group): 38-hour IV infusion of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control group), saline solution with 8.5% amino acids (2.3 g/kg/d), or saline solution with 8.5% amino acids (1.8 g/kg/d) and 20% l-alanyl-l-glutamine (Ala-Gln; 0.5 g/kg/d). High-dose MPSS treatment was initiated at the same time that IV infusions began, such that a total dose of 85 mg of MPSS/kg was administered through multiple IV injections over a 26-hour period. The infusions were maintained until 12 hours after the last MPSS injection. Blood samples collected before MPSS injections began and 2, 12, and 24 hours after injections ceased were used to evaluate PMN function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MPSS injections resulted in an increase in the total number of circulating leukocytes and increases in neutrophil and monocyte counts but did not affect lymphocyte, eosinophil, or basophil counts. Lymphocyte counts in the Ala-Gln group were higher than in the control group 12 hours after MPSS injections finished. Relative to preinfusion values, phagocytic capacity, oxidative burst activity, and filamentous actin polymerization of PMNs were suppressed in all dogs except those that received Ala-Gln.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parenteral Ala-Gln administration in dogs resulted in an increase in PMN phagocytic responses that were suppressed by high-dose MPSS treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 361-763, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Houn
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sung-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mhan-Pyo
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008776:Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D011897:Random Allocation; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D008776:Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate; C054122:alanylglutamine