EFFECT OF ORAL SUPPLEMENTATION OF ORNITHINE-ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE ON THE INTESTINAL BARRIER AFTER ORTHOTOPIC SMALL-BOWEL TRANSPLANTATION

The aim of this study was to analyze the possible protective effects o f a glutamine and arginine precursor (ornithine-alpha-ketoglutarate [O KG]) on the mucosa of a transplanted intestine when administered with either a defined formula oral diet (DFD) or a standard chow. Isogenic male Lewis rats (250 g) were submitted to a laparotomy (groups 1 and 2 ) or to an orthotopic small bowel transplantation (SBT; groups 3-6). G roups 1, 3, and 5 received a DFD 14 days after surgery. Groups 2, 4, a nd 6 received standard chow. In addition, groups 5 and 6 received a da ily oral supplementation of 1.4 g/kg of OKG. Weight changes and food i ntake were recorded daily. At the end of the study, bacterial transloc ation (BT) was measured in mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. The protein/DNA index was also determined in intestinal mucosa, SBT in duced BT in all transplanted groups, especially in those fed DFD. Addi tion of OKG (groups 5 and 6) significantly reduced BT in comparison wi th groups 3 and 4 and improved the protein/DNA index as well as weight gain. It is concluded that OKG supplementation protects the intestina l barrier after SBT, and that this effect is more marked when it is ad ded to a standard chow.