Effect of glutamine on intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation in patients after abdominal surgery

Objective The study was conducted to examine the effects of supplemental glutamine(Gln) on intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation in patients undergone abdominal surgery.Methods From May 2004 to May 2007,76 patients in the First Affiliated Hospatial of Jinan University were randomised to receive either parenteral nutrition with Gln(n=38) or the same nutrition alone(n=38) after abdominal surgery.Administration of Gln or parenteral nutrition alone was continued for a further 7 days and intestinal permeability was then measurerd by estimation of urine lactulose/mannito(L/M) and.intestinal-derived bacterial DNA examined by PCR after the surgery.Results Gln in 7d after the surgery was significantly lower in control compared to patients receiving Gln.(control,532.86±107.08 μmol/L,Gln,616.14±42.13 μmol/L,P0.01).Intestinal permeability(L/M) after the surgery was significantly lower in patients receiving Gln compared to controls,P0.01.The incidence of bacterial positive by PCR was 10.53%(8/76) after surgery in both groups.Lower levels of Gln were detected in bacterial positive group compared to negative,P0.05,and L/M was lower in bacterial negative group significantly compared to positive,P0.01.Conclusion Glutamine modulates intestinal permeability and reduces bacterial translocation in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.