DECREASE OF MUCOSAL GLUTAMINE CONCENTRATION IN THE NUTRITIONALLY DEPLETED PATIENT

A diminished glutamine delivery by peripheral tissues is suggested to play an important role in the etiology of postoperative complications of nutritionally depleted patients. Decreased glutamine supply to the gut mucosa in these nutritionally depleted patients may have important consequences for the integrity of the gut mucosa barrier. To evaluate whether glutamine concentration in the gut mucosa of depleted patient s is altered, patients with either a fat-free mass index below 90% or percentage ideal body weight below 90% as a result of weight loss were studied. 22 patients admitted to the University Hospital Maastricht a nd 14 controls were studied. After an overnight fast, venous blood was sampled and duodenal biopsies were obtained by endoscopy. Plasma and tissue amino acids were measured. Fat-free mass was determined by bioe lectrical impedance measurement. In 10 depleted patients glutamine con centration in the duodenal mucosa was 2883 +/- 250 mu mol/kg dry weigh t. Concentration of alanine was 2570 +/- 263 mu mol/kg dry weight. In the non-depleted patients glutamine and alanine concentrations were re spectively 3463 +/- 171 mu mol/kg dry weight and 3540 +/- 315 mu mol/k g dry weight. Concentrations in controls were 3296 +/- 176 mu mol/kg d ry weight for glutamine and 3682 +/- 372 mu mol/kg dry weight for alan ine. Concentrations for alanine and glutamine were significantly lower in depleted patients compared to non-depleted patients (p < 0.05). Al so, alanine and glutamine concentrations were significantly correlated with percentage ideal body weight (r=0.43, p < 0.005 for glutamine an d r=0.62, p < 0.001 for alanine) and fat-free mass index (r=0.42, p < 0.05 for glutamine and r=0.48, p < 0.01 for alanine) This study sugges ts that in patients depletion appears to be related to decreased plasm a and mucosa glutamine and alanine concentrations.