Protective effect of glutamine in critical patients with acute liver injury

Glutamine (Gln) supplementation is known to decrease oxidative stress and inflammatory response, enhance resistance to infectious pathogens, shorten hospital stay, and decrease medical costs of patients. This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between the effect of early parenteral glutamine (Gln) supplement on acute liver injury (ALI) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70) expression in critical patients.

Forty-four patients who had been admitted to the emergency intensive care unit (EICU) of Nanjing First Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University were randomly divided into a control group (n=22) and a Gln group (n=22). The patients of the two groups received enteral and parenteral nutrition. In addition, parenteral Gln 0.4 g/kg per day was given for 7 days in the Gln group. Serum HSP-70 and Gln were measured at admission and at 7 days after admission. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin (TBiL), serum levels of HSP-70 and Gln, mechanical ventilation (MV) time, ICU stay, peripheral blood of TNF-α, IL-6, CD3, CD4 and CD4/CD8 levels were also measured in the two groups.

In the Gln group, the levels of serum HSP-70 and Gln were significantly higher after Gln treatment than those before the treatment (P<0.01). HSP-70 level was positively correlated with the Gln level in the Gln group after administration of parenteral Gln (P<0.01). The levels of serum ALT, AST, TBiL and TNF-α, IL-6 were lower in the Gln group than in the non-Gln group (P<0.01). MV time and ICU stay were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05). The levels of CD3, CD4 and CD4/CD8 were significantly higher in the Gln group than in the control group after treatment (P<0.05).

Parenteral Gln significantly increases the level of serum HSP70 in critically ill patients. The enhanced expression of HSP70 is correlated with improved outcomes of Gln-treated patients with acute liver injury.