Protective effects of l-glutamine on the bladder wall of rats submitted to pelvic radiation

• Published in: Micron (Oxford, England : 1993) England : 1993), 2013-04, Vol.47, p.18-23
• Main Authors: Barcellos, Leilane M., Costa, Waldemar S., Medeiros, Jorge L., Rocha, Beatriz R., Sampaio, Francisco J.B., Cardoso, Luiz E.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: actin; animal models; Animals; bladder; blood cells; blood vessels; body weight; Dietary Supplements; epithelial cells; epithelium; Glutamine; Glutamine - administration & dosage; Glutamine - pharmacology; Glutamine - therapeutic use; Humans; Male; males; mast cells; prostatic neoplasms; protective effect; Radiation Injuries, Experimental - pathology; Radiation Injuries, Experimental - prevention & control; radioprotective agents; Radiotherapy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Urinary bladder; Urinary Bladder - drug effects; Urinary Bladder - pathology; Urinary Bladder - radiation effects; Urothelium; Urothelium - drug effects; Urothelium - pathology; Urothelium - radiation effects
• ISSN: 0968-4328; 1878-4291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2013.01.001

► Radiotherapy is often used to treat prostate tumors, but the normal bladder is usually adversely affected. ► Using an animal model of pelvic radiation, we investigated whether glutamine can prevent damage to the bladder. ► The results showed that radiation causes acute and post-acute structural alterations in the vesical upper layers. ► Most of these changes, however, can be prevented by glutamine nutritional supplementation. ► These results emphasize, therefore, the potential use of this aminoacid as a radioprotective drug. Radiotherapy is often used to treat prostate tumors, but the normal bladder is usually adversely affected. Using an animal model of pelvic radiation, we investigated whether glutamine nutritional supplementation can prevent radiation-induced damage to the bladder, especially in its more superficial layers. Male rats aged 3–4 months were divided into groups of 8 animals each: controls, which consisted intact animals; radiated-only rats, which were sacrificed 7 (R7) or 15 (R15) days after a radiation session (10Gy aimed at the pelvico-abdominal region); and radiated rats receiving l-glutamine supplementation (0.65g/kg body weight/day), which were sacrificed 7 (RG7) or 15 (RG15) days after the radiation session. Cells and blood vessels in the vesical lamina propria, as well as the urothelium, were then measured using histological methods. The effects of radiation were evaluated by comparing controls vs. either R7 or R15, while a protective effect of glutamine was assessed by comparing R7 vs. RG7 and R15 vs. RG15. The results showed that, in R7, epithelial thickness, epithelial cell density, and cell density in the lamina propria were not significantly affected. However, density of blood vessels in R7 was reduced by 48% (p