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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Measuring Peptide Translocation into Large Unilamellar Vesicles
Published on: January 27, 2012
Glucagon-like peptide-2 improves intestinal immune function and diminishes bacterial translocation in a mouse model
Qiucheng Lei1, Jingcheng Bi2, Huanwei Chen3
1Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing 210002, China; Department of Liver and Pancreatic Surgery, The First People' s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan 528000, China.
Abstract:
Parenteral nutrition (PN) is associated with increased infectious risks due to impaired intestinal immunity. Although glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) enhances the gut barrier function, it is uncertain whether it improves mucosal immunologic barrier function. We hypothesized that injecting the PN mouse model with GLP-2 improved innate and acquired immunity, and prevented bacterial translocation. Forty-eight hours after venous cannulation, male Institute of Cancer Research mice were randomly divided into 3 groups based on their diet: chow with saline (n = 10), PN (n = 9), or PN + GLP-2 (30 μg bid per mouse, n = 10) provided for 5 days. Compared with chow, PN reduced interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 levels (P < .05, respectively), whereas, compared with PN alone, GLP-2 injection increased IL-4 and IL-13 levels (P < .05, respectively). Compared with chow, PN considerably suppressed, whereas GLP-2 improved, secretory phospholipase A2 and cryptdin-4 expression. PN, compared with chow, considerably decreased lysozyme and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor levels, whereas, compared with PN, GLP-2 significantly increased these protein levels (P < .01, respectively). In tissue and luminal samples, compared with chow, PN reduced secretory immunoglobulin A levels (P < .05), whereas, compared with PN alone, GLP-2 increased secretory immunoglobulin A levels (P < .05). Functionally, more bacterial translocation was observed in the PN group compared with the chow group (P < .001), and GLP-2 injection decreased bacterial translocation to chow levels (P < .05). In summary, GLP-2 treatment may improve intestinal innate and acquired immunity, and prevent bacterial translocation in mice on total parenteral nutrition.
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