Open AccessInfluence of Glutamine on Intestinal Inflammatory Response, Mucosa Structure Alterations and Apoptosis following Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats
Author(s) -
Decheng Feng,
Xu Wei,
G Chen,
Chao Hang,
Han Gao,
Hong Yin
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of international medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1473-2300
pISSN - 0300-0605
DOI - 10.1177/147323000703500509
Subject(s) - glutamine , traumatic brain injury , apoptosis , inflammation , medicine , intestinal mucosa , tumor necrosis factor alpha , downregulation and upregulation , pathology , small intestine , necrosis , immunology , biology , biochemistry , amino acid , psychiatry , gene
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can induce a persistent inflammatory response, histopathological changes and apoptosis in the intestine. Glutamine has been shown to reduce bacterial translocation and maintain intestine mucosal integrity, but its effects on the inflammatory response, structural alterations and apoptosis in intestinal mucosa following TBI have not been previously investigated. Using the weight-drop method, a right parietal cortical contusion was induced in rats and, for the next 5 days, they were fed either chow alone or chow mixed with glutamine. Intestinal tissue samples were then removed for analysis. Following TBI, glutamine supplementation was found to: decrease intestinal concentrations of interleukin (IL) −1β, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-6; downregulate intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression; attenuate TBI-induced damage to the intestine structure; and reduce apoptosis. These results suggest that post-TBI glutamine administration could suppress intestinal inflammation, protect intestinal mucosal structure and reduce mucosal apoptosis.