Enteral glutamine administration prevents the decrease in cell energy charge potential produced in ileum after a skin burn in the rat

A skin burn produces a decrease in cell energy charge potential (ECP), a ma rker of cell function, in the liver and other organs. The process appears t o be oxidant induced because reduced glutathione (GSH) appears to be protec tive. The gut mucosal barrier is also known to be altered after burns and a ppears to be improved by glutamine, which is a source of energy and GSH pro duction. Neither the relationship between the gut barrier change and the EC P of the gut barrier nor the mechanism of glutamine protection has been def ined. The effect of a 20% total body surface area, full-thickness burn in a rat on ECP and GSH content in the ileum and the liver and the effect of or al glutamine (1 g/kg/d) on any changes were studied. Three groups of rats ( 14 rats per group) were studied: a control group, a group with burns alone, and a group with burns that were given glutamine. Half of the rats were ki lled 1 day after the burn, and the other half were killed 6 days after the burn. ECP did not decrease 1 day after the burn, but 6 days after the burn, ECP decreased from a control of 0.53 +/- 0.06 to 0.41 +/- 0.01 in the live r and from 0.64 +/- 0.04 to 0.29 +/- 0.04 in the ileum. In the ileum, gluta mine prevented the decrease of the ECP (which increased to 0.58 +/- .03), b ut in the Liver, glutamine did not alter the ECP (which remained at 0.42 +/ - 0.05). The GSH content was unchanged after the burn injury in both organs compared with the value before the burn injury. It can be concluded that a delayed decrease in ECP in the ileum occurs after a burn injury. Orally ad ministered glutamine prevents the decrease in ECP, probably by providing ce ll energy rather than by increasing gut GSH (antioxidant) activity.