R. Gennari et al., EFFECT OF DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF DIETARY ADDITIVES ON BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION AND SURVIVAL IN GUT-DERIVED SEPSIS, JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition, 19(4), 1995, pp. 319-325
Background: Dietary arginine, glutamine, and fish oil each have been s
hown to improve resistance to infection. The purpose of this study was
to assess the potential benefit of different combinations and amounts
of these components on bacterial translocation and related mortality
during gut-derived sepsis. Methods: Balb/c mice were fed for 10 days w
ith an AIN-76A diet supplemented with different combinations and perce
ntages of arginine, glutamine, glycine, fish oil, and medium-chain tri
glycerides. Controls were fed a complete AIN-76A diet or chow. After 1
0 days of feeding, all animals were transfused. On day 15, the animals
were gavaged with 10(10) In-111-radiolabeled or unlabeled Escherichia
coli and given a 30% burn injury. Animals gavaged with unlabeled bact
eria were observed for survival (n = 317). Groups that showed the best
survival as well as control groups were gavaged with labeled bacteria
and killed 4 hours postburn (n = 60) for harvest of mesenteric lymph
nodes, Liver and spleen. Results: Mice fed diets enriched with 5% fish
oil + 2% arginine, 2% arginine + 2% glutamine, or 5% fish oil + 2% gl
utamine had higher survival than control groups. The animals fed fish
oil + glutamine had significantly reduced translocation to the liver a
nd spleen. Animals fed arginine + glutamine had an enhanced ability to
kill translocated organisms in the liver compared with other groups.
Fish oil + arginine improved both barrier function and microbial killi
ng. Conclusions: Feeding with arginine + glutamine, fish oil + arginin
e, or fish oil + glutamine supplemented diets positively affects the o
utcome in a gut-derived sepsis model.