Effects of glutamine supplementation on gut barrier, glutathione content and acute phase response in malnourished rats during inflammatory shock

Table 1 Composition of control and protein-deficient diets¹

Constituent (g/kg)	Control diet(23% casein)	Protein-deficient diet(0% casein)
Protein	2302	0
Glucose (+ starch)	580	800
Lipids	50	60
Cellulose	60	60
Mineral salts3	70	70
Vitamins4	10	10
Total	1000	1000

¹The energy density of each diet was 18 kJ/g. In the protein-restricted (PR) group, energy was replaced with isocaloric quantities of carbohydrates (glucose + starch in equal amounts);

²Containing (g/kg): L-Arginine 8.5; L-Cysteine 3.0; L-Lysine 17.4; L-Methionine 7.1; L-Tryptophane 5.0; L-Glycine 1.0;

³Containing (mg/kg): phosphorus, 7750; calcium, 10 000; potassium, 6000; sodium, 4000; magnesium, 1000; manganese, 80; iron, 300; copper, 12.5; zinc, 45; cobalt, 0.09; and iodine, 0.49;

⁴Containing (UI/kg): retinyl acetate, 19 800; cholecalciferol, 6000; and (mg/kg): thiamin, 20; riboflavin, 15; D-pantothenic acid, 70; pyridoxine, 10; inositol, 150; cyanocobalamine, 0.05; ascorbic acid, 800; dl-α-tocopherol acetate, 170; menadione sodium bisulfite, 40; nicotinic acid, 100; choline, 1360; folic acid, 5; biotin, 0.3. (ND, not detectable).

Table 2 Body weight, total energy and nitrogen intake

	CG	PR	Gln	PP
Body weight (g)	295 ± 9	288 ± 31	284 ± 30	296 ± 8
Energy intake (kcal/d. 100 g body weight)
1st wk	34 ± 2	20 ± 5a	22 ± 7a	19 ± 7a
2nd wk	30 ± 4	30 ± 4	28 ± 10	28 ± 10
Nitrogen intake (g/100 g body weight)	0.28 ± 0.02	0.00	0.05 ± 0.03	0.04 ± 0.01

Body weight (g) before the beginning of the study, total energy intake (powder or powder + supplementation in the drinking water) expressed in kcal/d per 100 g of body weight, and total nitrogen intake (g/100 g body weight) in CG (control group), protein-restricted group (PR) and protein-restricted groups supplemented with glutamine (Gln) or a protein powder (PP).

^aP < 0.05 vs CG.

Table 3 Positive cultures (colony forming units per gram of organ tissue (CFU) > 100) from cultured lymph nodes/total cultures for (CG ), protein-restricted (PR), glutamine-(Gln) and protein powder (PP) supplemented groups

	d 0	d 1	d 3
CG	0/4	2/4	1/4
PR	1/5	1/5	1/5
Gln	2/6	4/7	2/5
PP	3/5	3/4	3/4