Effect of glutamine use on the formation of intestinal neomucosa on peritoneal surface in rats

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a clinical condition with high mortality and morbidity, which leads to the lack of absorption of fluids or nutrients necessary for the body due to the decrease in the length of the small bowel (SB). Glutamine is an amino acid essential for the nutrition and proliferation of intestinal mucosa cells. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of glutamine on intestinal neomucosa formation in rats which developed SBS.

Sixteen Wistar Hannover rats were randomly divided into two groups of eight rats. Saline was applied to the rats in Group 1 (control) following the enteroperitoneal anastomosis between mucosal surface of the ileum and the parietal peritoneum surface (adherent to abdominal wall) while glutamine was applied to the rats in Group 2 following the same anastomosis. Fourteen days later, the rats were euthanatized and blood samples were taken. Simultaneously, en bloc resection of the anastomosis part was performed and histopathological examination was carried out to observe neomucosa formation. The effects of glutamine on anastomosis were determined by microscopic and biochemical evaluations.

Biochemical analyses were performed by measuring serum oxidant (malondialdehyde [MDA] and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]) and antioxidant (superoxide dismutase [SOD] and glutathione peroxidase [GPx]) parameters. Based on the biochemical evaluation results of the antioxidant values of the control and glutamine groups, it was found that while the serum antioxidant level (SOD and GPx activity) was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the glutamine-administered rats compared to the control group, the oxidative damage (MDA and 8-OHdG) was lower (p<0.05). In terms of the histological evaluations made for the neomucosa formation, the number of neomucosa formation was higher in the glutamine group, but the difference was not significant (p=0.315).

The use of glutamine in patients with SBS may increase surface absorption by increasing neomucosa formation. However, additional studies of large statistical power are needed.