GLUTAMINE SUPPLEMENTATION MAINTAINS INTRAMUSCULAR GLUTAMINE CONCENTRATIONS AND NORMALIZES LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTION IN INFECTED EARLY WEANED PIGS

Numerous studies in humans and rats have shown that glutamine suppleme ntation during stressful conditions has favorable outcomes. However, t he requirements for glutamine during weaning are unknown, Thus, the ef fects of glutamine supplementation in healthy and infected weaned pigs were investigated, At 21 d of age, pigs were weaned to an elemental d iet supplemented with glutamine (+Gln) or an isonitrogenous diet conta ining nonessential amino acids (-Gln), At 26 d of age, pigs were intra peritoneally injected with Escherichia coil (+Ecoli) or buffered salin e (-Ecoli) and killed at 28 d of age, Infection decreased (P < 0.05) p lasma and intramuscular glutamine concentrations, but infected pigs th at received +Gln diets had higher intramuscular glutamine levels than those that received -Gln diets, Infected pigs had elevated (P < 0.05) total leukocyte counts, and blood lymphocyte responses ([H-3]-thymidin e incorporation) to a mixture of phorbol myristate acetate and ionomyc in were reduced, White blood cell counts were greater (P < 0.05) in +G ln than -Gln pigs, The peak responses to concanavalin A (Con A) by lym phocytes of +Ecoli+Gln pigs were greater (P < 0.05) than those of +Eco li-Gln pigs and not different than those of noninfected pigs. Hence, g lutamine supplementation maintained muscular glutamine concentrations and normalized lymphocyte function in infected pigs.