title: Effects of glutamine-supplemented enteral or parenteral nutrition on apoptosis of intestinal mucosal cells in rats with severe acute pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hhigh mortality of the severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is caused by the damage of intestinal mucosal barrier. Glutamine (Gln) has been used to protect the intestinal mucosal barrier in the treatments of many severe diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of glutamine on the apoptosis of intestinal mucosa and Bax expression in rats with SAP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham-operated group, SAP + parenteral nutrition (PN) group, SAP + enteral nutrition (EN) group, SAP + EN + Gln group, and SAP + PN + Gln group. Rats were sacrificed 4 days and 7 days after nutritional support. The intestinal epithelial apoptosis and the expression of Bax were examined by TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical staining, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The apoptotic index (AI) of SAP groups was higher than that of sham-operated group. After 7 days treatment, the AI of SAP + EN + Gln group was significantly lower than that of the SAP + EN or SAP + PN group. In addition, the AI of the SAP groups after 7 days treatment was significantly lower than that of the same groups at 4 days after treatment. Furthermore, the Bax expression of SAP + EN + Gln group was significantly lower than that in the SAP + EN or SAP + PN group. However, no significant differences were observed between SAP + EN + Gln group and SAP + PN + Gln group in AI and Bax expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination of Gln and parenteral nutrition or enteral nutrition inhibits the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells and maintains the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. hantingfhht@gmail.com
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: X-L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: D-L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: S-S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Geng
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005973:Glutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000473:pathology*; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D005973:Glutamine