N-Acetyl-L-Glutamine, a liquid-stable source of glutamine, partially prevents changes in body weight and on intestinal immunity induced by protein energy malnutrition in pigs

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences 2007-03, Vol.52 (3), p.650-658, Article 650
• Main Authors: LOPEZ-PEDROSA, Jose M, MANZANO, Manuel, BAXTER, Jeffrey H, RUEDA, Ricardo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Enteral Nutrition; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Flow Cytometry; Food, Formulated; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glutamine - administration & dosage; Glutamine - analogs & derivatives; Glutamine - pharmacology; Glutathione - metabolism; Glutathione Transferase - metabolism; Humans; Intestines - immunology; Liver - physiology; Lymphocyte Subsets - physiology; Male; Malnutrition; Organ Size - drug effects; Organ Size - immunology; Oxidoreductases - metabolism; Peroxidase - metabolism; Peyer's Patches - metabolism; Protein-Energy Malnutrition - immunology; Protein-Energy Malnutrition - metabolism; Proteins; Swine; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin K - pharmacology; Weight Gain - drug effects
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1007/s10620-006-9500-y

The goal of this study was to evaluate the preventive effect of free glutamine versus N-acetyl-L-glutamine, a liquid-stable source of glutamine, on gut damage induced by protein energy malnutrition in pigs. Healthy pigs (n = 6) were fed a liquid formula for 30 days. Three subgroups of malnourished pigs (n = 6) received daily 20% of the food intake recorded in control group, supplemented with calcium caseinate, glutamine, or N-acetyl-L-glutamine. Body weight was recorded, and small intestinal samples were evaluated for biochemical and immunologic parameters. Suppression in body weight gain was significantly lower in pigs fed with N-acetyl-L-glutamine than in the rest of malnourished pigs. Total number of lymphocytes, CD21+ B cells and CD4+ T cells in ileal Peyer patches were not significantly different in malnourished pigs fed with N-acetyl-L-glutamine and in healthy pigs. In conclusion, N-acetyl-L-glutamine has a moderate protective effect, partially preventing changes induced by protein energy malnutrition.