DOES INTRAVENOUS GLUTAMINE PREVENT BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION IN HEMORRHAGIC-SHOCK

Bacterial translocation across the gut wall may be associated with ins ult to the latter. In this situation, intestinal flora can enter the b lood stream and lymph nodes and be transported to other organs. Glutam ine is a nonessential amino acid not presently included in total paren teral nutrition (TPN) preparations. The use of glutamine-enriched TPN in the rat has resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial transl ocation. This study attempted to evaluate the role of glutamine in pre venting bacterial translocation following hemorrhagic shock in a rat m odel. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into two groups. The controls were given TPN solution, while the treated group had glut amine instead of the standard alanine present in TPN. Hemorrhagic shoc k was induced in both groups and blood cultures were performed. Glutam ine-treated rats did not show a significant difference in survival sug gesting that it is of no particular value in severe hemorrhagic shock in rats.