Jejunoileal bypass-induced liver dysfunction and bacterial translocation: effect of intraluminal glutamine-infusion

We tested the effect of long-term intraluminal administration of glutamine on jejunoileal bypass (JIB) induced abnormalities in the plasma-liver profile in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats (200-250 g) were subjected to an end to side JIB followed by daily intraluminal infusions of either 8 ml saline (n = 5), infused over a 4-hour period, or 8 ml saline containing 1g/Kg body weight glutamine (n = 7) for 3 weeks. Thirteen unoperated rats and four JIB rats without infusions served as controls. At the conclusion of the experiment, a cardiac blood sample was removed and analyzed for plasma cholesterol, albumin, total protein, gamma glutaril transferase, lactic dehydrogenase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin. Tissue samples from various segments of bowel, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes, and spleen underwent histopathologic examination. Bacteriological cultures were prepared from jejunum, ileum, mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Bacterial translocation occurred in both JIB-saline and JIB-glutamine infused rats. Glutamine-infused rats developed a significant decrease in the plasma cholesterol levels. However, glutamine did not prevent the JIB-induced alterations in the plasma-liver profile and bowel histopathology. It is suggested that experimental JIB procedure can be used as a model of bacterial translocation consequent to mucosal permeability and intestinal inflammatory diseases.