title: Artificial nutrition and intestinal mucosal barrier functionality.
abstract: The gastrointestinal tract has a major role in digestion and absorption of nutrients while playing a leading role in defense of the body. It forms a shield against the invasion of various microorganisms or their products (e.g. antigens, toxins) and therefore it is important to establish its integrity and functionality. That depends on the route of administration and the composition of the artificial nutrition. This study concentrates on the influences of different kinds of artificial nutrition in the functionality of the intestinal mucosal barriers. It seems that full macromolecular solutions of enteral nutrition ensure an adequate mucous immune response, while a lack of nutritional stimulus in the lumen leads rapidly to a dysfunction of gastric-associated lymphatic tissue and mucosal immune system. This dysfunction renders the patients susceptible to infections in distant organs, hospital pneumonia, and multiorgan failure of non-infectious etiology. In patients with indication of total parenteral nutrition administration, addition of bombesin or glutamine preserves mucosal immune response and may limit the adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, 424 General Military Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Chrysostomos D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Anastasilakis
authors.forename: Orestis
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ioannidis
authors.forename: Athina I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Gkiomisi
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Botsios
mesh_terms: D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000276:immunology*; D001839:Bombesin / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005526:Food, Formulated; D005973:Glutamine / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057947:Parenteral Nutrition Solutions / Q000592:standards*; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D057947:Parenteral Nutrition Solutions; D005973:Glutamine; D001839:Bombesin