EFFECT OF L-GLUTAMINE AND N-BUTYRATE ON THE RESTITUTION OF RAT COLONIC MUCOSA AFTER ACID-INDUCED INJURY

Background-L-glutamine and n-butyrate are important nutrients for colo nocytes affecting both their structure and function. The effect of the se epithelial substrates on resealing of rat distal colon after acid i nduced injury was studied. Methods-Isolated colonic mucosa of 32 rats was mounted in Ussing chambers and exposed to Krebs-Ringer solution fo r four hours. Epithelial injury was induced by short-term exposure to luminal hydrochloric acid and resealing was studied with or without ad ded glutamine or butyrate. Results-Glutamine (luminal and serosal) red uced tissue conductance, mannitol and lactulose permeability, and perm eation of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Glutamine (serosal) dimin ished conductance and mannitol permeability. Both interventions stimul ated bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in nuclei of colonocytes. Luminal butyrate had no measurable effect on these parameters. Conclusions-Th ese data suggest that L-glutamine stimulates repair mechanisms of rat colonic mucosa after acid injury. This effect on the gut barrier is as sociated with a stimulation of crypt cell proliferation. The addition of glutamine to parenteral solutions may be beneficial for patients un der intensive care whose intestinal barrier is weakened in the course of sepsis and trauma.