Prevention of bacterial translocation using glutamine: a new strategy of investigation.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the role of glutamine (Gln) on bacterial translocation in an intestinal obstruction model by using Escherichia coli labeled with technetium 99m (99mTc-E. coli).

METHODS

Intestinal obstruction was performed by a single ligature of the terminal ileum in rats. Animals in the control group (group 1) were sham operated (not obstructed). Experimental group 2 had intestinal obstruction. Groups 1 and 2 were not treated with Gln. Groups 3 and 4 were treated with Gln for 7 d before surgery with 250 and 500 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), respectively. A suspension containing 100 million colony-forming units/mL of (99m)Tc-E. coli was injected into the lumen of the ileum. Twenty-four hours after surgery, blood, mesenteric lymph nodes, livers, spleens, and lungs were collected for determination of radioactivity. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed for statistical analysis. P <or= 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Rats that had an intestinal obstruction showed a significant increase in 99mTc-E. coli translocation from the lumen to all organs investigated compared with the sham-operated group (P <or= 0.01). There was a significant difference between the intestinally obstructed group and Group 4 treated with Gln at 500 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) (P <or= 0.05), which did not occur in Group 3 treated with Gln at 250 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1).

CONCLUSIONS

The new method using 99mTc-E. coli was found to be suitable for studies of bacterial translocation. Gln did not prevent bacterial translocation but did significantly decrease the spread of 99mTc-E. coli among organs such as the liver, lung, and spleen. The effect of Gln in cases of intestinal obstruction was found to be dose dependent.