Early gastrointestinal regulatory peptide response to intestinal resectionin the rat is stimulated by enteral glutamine supplementation

Background: Intestinal resection stimulates the synthesis and release of ga strointestinal peptides that regulate the growth and adaptation of the muco sa. Luminal nutrients are necessary for optimal proliferation and glutamine is the preferential nutrient to the small bowel. The interplay between glu tamine and regulatory peptides could be important in treating short bower s yndrome. Methods: 63 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: resect ion; transection, or controls. After intestinal resection animals were oral ly fed either a diet without glutamine or a glutamine-supplemented diet for 2 days. Transected animals and controls without prior surgery were fed the same two diets. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor- a, insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II), peptide YY (PYY ), and enteroglucagon were analyzed in mucosa from the proximal jejunum, di stal ileum as well as in portal plasma when the animals were euthanized 72 h after surgery. Results: Intestinal resection resulted in an early increas e in portal plasma concentrations of PYY, EGF, enteroglucagon, and mucosal IGF-II and EGF content that were significant in glutamine-treated animals. Glutamine significantly increased PW in portal blood after resection (p < 0 .05). Conclusion: Glutamine could be of importance for the functional adapt ation of residual small bowel mucosa by increasing PYY release.