Effect of Alanyl-glutamine or Arginine Enriched Parenteral Nutrition on Immune Function and Gut Barrier Function of Postwound Rats

Objective To evaluate the effect of alanyl-glutamine and/or arginine-enriched parenteral nutrition(PN)on immune function and gut-barrier function of postwound rats. Methods Fifty wounded male Wister rats were divided into 5 groups: control group,receiving normal diet; PN group,receiving conventional PN; PN-A group,receiving arginine-enriched PN; PN-G group,receiving alanyl-glutamine-enriched PN; PN-A-G group,receiving alanyl-glutamine and arginine-enriched PN. The rats received PN from the 1 st postwound day to the 7 th postwound day. PN in each group was isonitrogenic and isocarloric. Themorphologyoftheintestinalmucous and proliferation of the peripheral lymphocytes were observed. Results The weights of rats in all PN groups were lower at the 7 th postwound day than before operation; the weights of rats in PN and PN-A groups were significantly lower than those in PN-G and PN-A-G group (P0.05). After 7 days of PN supports,the mucosa thickness of jejunum and colon and the villi heights of jejunum were significantly decreased in PN group and PN-A group than in control group; however,those in PN-G group and PN-A-G group were similar to in control group. The bacterial translocation rates in PN group and PN-A group were significantly higher than in PN-G group,PN-A-G group,and control group. The proliferation rates of the peripheral lymphocyte in both two glutamine(GLN)-enriched nutrition groups were similar to that in the control group; after 7 days of treatment,the proliferation rates of the peripheral lymphocytes were significantly lower in PN group and PN-A group than in control group (P0.05),while no such difference was observed between PN-G/PN-A-G group and control group(P0.05). The proliferation rates of the peripheral lymphocytes were significantly decreased after operation in the PN group and PN-A group. Conclusion GLN-enriched PN can eliminate the atrophy of gut mucous,bacterial translocation,and immunosuppression following major wounds,but arginine lacks such effects.