Glutamine and arginine supplementation may help prevent necrotizing enterocolitis. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Enteral glutamine and/or arginine supplementation have favorable effects on oxidative stress parameters in neonatal rat intestine.
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2009 Jul;49(1):85-9. PMID: 19503000
Department of Pediatrics, GATA Haydarpasa Teaching Hospital, Uskudar, Istanbul, Turkey. drmustafakul@yahoo.com
OBJECTIVE: To investigate and compare the effects of enteral glutamine and arginine supply on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme levels in the small intestine of healthy breast-fed rats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 40 newborn Sprague-Dawley rats born to 5 mother rats. Newborn rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. Starting from day 1 until day 21, group I received only breast milk; group II received breast milk and 200 mg/kg/day oral glutamine; group III received breast milk and 200 mg/kg/day oral arginine; and group IV received breast milk, 200 mg/kg/day glutamine, and 200 mg/kg/day arginine. Malondialdehyde levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase activities were measured.
RESULTS: The lowest malondialdehyde levels were found in group II (P = 0.0001). Superoxide dismutase activity was found to be significantly higher in group II than group I (P<0.001). Of the 4 groups, GPx activity was highest in group IV. GPx activity in group II was significantly higher than in group I (P = 0.001) or group III (P = 0.001). GPx activity was higher in group IV than in group I (P = 0.001) or group III (P = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Enteral glutamine alone or in the presence of arginine has favorable effects on oxidative stress not only in experimental models of hypoxia-reoxygenation, but also in healthy newborn rats. This suggests that in premature neonates with insufficient oxidative resistance, glutamine and arginine supplementation may help prevent necrotizing enterocolitis.
