Glycine reduces the inflammatory response and organ damage in a two-hit sepsis model in rats

The goal of this study was to investigate whether prefeeding of glycine red uces the immunoinflammatory response, the degree of distant organ injury (l iver), and/or the mortality rate in a two-hit model using intestinal ischem ia/reperfusion and endotoxin (ET) challenge 6 h later in rats. The liver da mage was greatest at 24 h after ET challenge and completely inhibited by gl ycine. The early systemic increase of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor n ecrosis factor-a (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL) -6 as well as the secreti on of the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10 was reduced by glycine. Tissue cy tokine mRNA expression (TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-10) was decreased in the l ung and the liver but not in the mesenteric lymph node or ileum, in the gly cine-fed group. However, glycine did not decrease the mortality rate. These results suggest that prefeeding of glycine reduces liver damage as well as the systemic and local (lung and liver) inflammatory response after intest inal ischemia/reperfusion and endotoxin challenge in rats.