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Glutamine protects intestinal calcium absorption against oxidative stress and apoptosis

Luciana Moine1, Gabriela Díaz de Barboza1, Adriana Pérez1

  • 1Laboratorio "Dr. Fernando Cañas", Cátedra de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, INICSA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Pabellón Argentina, 2do. Piso, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology
|July 23, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Glutamine (GLN) supplementation can protect intestinal calcium absorption from menadione (MEN)-induced damage by restoring redox balance and reducing apoptosis in the small intestine.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional biochemistry
  • Gastroenterology
  • Cellular physiology

Background:

  • Menadione (MEN) is known to impair intestinal calcium (Ca2+) absorption.
  • Oxidative stress and apoptosis are implicated in MEN-induced intestinal damage.
  • The protective role of glutamine (GLN) against such damage requires elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if glutamine (GLN) can prevent the inhibition of intestinal Ca2+ absorption caused by menadione (MEN).
  • To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of GLN's protective effects, focusing on redox state and apoptosis.

Main Methods:

  • One-month-old chicks were used, divided into control, MEN-treated, GLN-treated, and combined treatment groups.
  • Intestinal Ca2+ absorption, transcellular Ca2+ pathway protein expression, glutathione (GSH) levels, superoxide anion production, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT), and apoptosis markers (TUNEL, FAS, FASL, caspase-3) were assessed.

Main Results:

  • A dose of 1g/kg body weight glutamine (GLN) restored intestinal Ca2+ absorption inhibited by menadione (MEN).
  • GLN prevented MEN-induced alterations in intestinal redox state, including decreased GSH and increased superoxide anion.
  • GLN abrogated MEN-induced apoptosis in the intestinal mucosa by reducing TUNEL-positive cells and modulating the FAS/FASL/caspase-3 pathway.

Conclusions:

  • Glutamine (GLN) acts as a protective agent against menadione (MEN)-induced intestinal damage.
  • GLN normalizes the redox state and the proliferation/cell death ratio in the small intestine.
  • GLN supplementation holds potential as an oral nutritional strategy to improve intestinal Ca2+ absorption compromised by oxidative stress.
Keywords:
ApoptosisCalcium transcellular pathwayGlutamineIntestinal calcium absorptionMenadioneOxidative stress

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