The Journal of nutrition
-
The Journal of nutrition · Oct 1999
Oral administration of a glutamine-enriched diet before or after endotoxin challenge in aged rats has limited effects.
Numerous studies indicate beneficial effects of glutamine (Gln) in many models of catabolic adult rats. No data were available for aged rats. The effects of oral L-Gln-enriched diet were tested in endotoxemic 24-mo old rats. ⋯ In a second study, after endotoxin challenge, healthy 24-mo-old rats were then food-deprived for 2 d (from d0 to d2), received a nonpurified diet for 4 d (from d2 to d6), and then Cas or L-Gln-supplemented diet for 7 d (from d6 to d13). No beneficial effects of Gln supplementation were observed except an increase of 50 and 56% in sucrase and glucoamylase activities in the ileum of Gln-treated rats, (P = 0.01 vs. healthy rats). In conclusion, the effects of L-Gln supplementation in aged endotoxemic rats were limited.