A ação da glutamina no processo de translocação bacteriana em modelo experimental de obstrução intestinal em camundongos

Glutamine is an essential amino acid in injury situations, when an intestinal barrier dysfunction predisposes to increase of the mucosal permeability and promote bacterial translocation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of glutamine on bacterial translocation and intestinal permeability. Swiss male mice (21) were randomly divided into three groups to bacterial translocation studies: glutamine group (GLUT), sham group and intestinal obstruction group (OINT). The glutamine animals received glutamine solution (500mgkg-1d-1) by gavage for seven days before surgery and received a specially prepared chow. The other groups received a chow added of casein to keep it isocaloric and isoproteic. On the 8th day, the animals received 108 CFU/mL of E. coli labeled with 99mTechnetium (99mTc-E.coli). After 90 min of administration the animals were anesthetized and the terminal ileum was isolated and ligated. The sham group underwent laparotomy only. Eighteen hours after, the animals were anesthetized to the blood collect and the organs were removed for radioactivity determination. Intestinal permeability was evaluated in another group of 45 animals, divided into similar groups and receiving the same treatment and surgical procedure described above. After seven days, all mice received by gavage 0.1 mL of diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA) labeled with 99mTc. After 90 min, the animals were submitted to surgical procedure. 4, 8 and 18h after, the animals were anesthetized and the blood collected for radioactivity determination. Five animals were used for each period investigated. Statistical analyses were performed using the test of Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA and the test. The animals in the glutamine group presented with decreased chow intake and weight gain. The level of bacterial translocation and intestinal permeability was higher in the OINT group than in the other goups (p<0.05). Glutamine supplementation reduced the bacterial translocation and the intestinal permeability to physiologic levels when compared with the OINT group (p<0.05). The results obtained suggest that the glutamine reduces the intestinal permeability and, consequently, the bacterial translocation.