title: Supplementation with L-Glutamine and L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine Changes Biochemical Parameters and Jejunum Morphophysiology in Type 1 Diabetic Wistar Rats.
abstract: We evaluated the effects of the supplementation with L-glutamine and glutamine dipeptide (GDP) on biochemical and morphophysiological parameters in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. For this purpose, thirty animals were distributed into six groups treated orally (gavage) during thirty days: non diabetic rats (Control) + saline, diabetic + saline; Control + L-glutamine (248 mg/kg), Diabetic + L-glutamine (248 mg/kg), Control + GDP (400 mg/kg), Diabetic + GDP (400 mg/kg). Diabetes was induced by an intravenous injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) and confirmed by fasting glucose ≥ 200 mg/dL. Physiological parameters, i.e., body mass, food intake, blood glucose, water intake, urine and faeces were evaluated during supplementation. After the period of supplementation, the animals were euthanized. The blood was collected for biochemical assays (fructosamine, transaminases, lipid profile, total protein, urea, ammonia). Moreover, the jejunum was excised and stored for morphophysiological assays (intestinal enzyme activity, intestinal wall morphology, crypt proliferative index, number of serotoninergic cells from the mucosa, and vipergic neurons from the submucosal tunica). The physiological parameters, protein metabolism and intestinal enzyme activity did not change with the supplementation with L-glutamine or GDP. In diabetic animals, transaminases and fructosamine improved with L-glutamine and GDP supplementations, while the lipid profile improved with L-glutamine. Furthermore, both forms of supplementation promoted changes in jejunal tunicas and wall morphometry of control and diabetic groups, but only L-glutamine promoted maintenance of serotoninergic cells and vipergic neurons populations. On the other hand, control animals showed changes that may indicate negative effects of L-glutamine. Thus, the supplementation with L-glutamine was more efficient for maintaining intestinal morphophysiology and the supplementation with GDP was more efficient to the organism as a whole. Thus, we can conclude that local differences in absorption and metabolism could explain the differences between the supplementation with L-glutamine or GDP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Vinicius D
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: da Rosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia C S F
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Bazotte
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosane M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nilza C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Buttow
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Montserrat D
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pedrosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vilma A F
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: de Godoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Raquel M
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Natali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004151:Dipeptides; D005973:Glutamine; C054122:alanylglutamine