title: Serum citrulline as a diagnostic marker of sepsis-induced intestinal dysfunction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the use of citrulline as an indicator for diagnosing septic acute intestinal dysfunction (SAID) in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  SD rats were divided into three groups: a normal group (A), a model group (B), and a glutamine group (C). Group B was divided into a 36-h group (B1) and a 72-h feeding group (B2). The concentrations of serum citrulline, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and intestinal glutamine and histopathological changes were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lengths of the villus and thicknesses of the mucosal layer in groups B1, B2 and C were significantly different from those in group A. Citrulline concentrations in groups B1, B2 and C were lower than in group A; the serum concentrations in group C were significantly greater than in groups B1 and B2. The I-FABP levels of groups B1, B2 and C were higher than group A; I-FABP levels of groups B1 and B2 were higher than group C. Intestinal glutamine levels of groups B1 and B2 were lower than groups A and C. The serum citrulline of group C was negatively correlated with I-FABP and Chiu's score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum citrulline could be used as the diagnostic indicator of SAID.
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Li-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: guanyuny@163.com.
authors.forename: Yun-Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Rong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of ICU, Wuxi Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Wuxi Hospital, No. 8, South West Road, Wuxi 214071, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Gui
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002956:Citrulline / Q000097:blood*; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002956:Citrulline