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Combined enteral infusion of glutamine, carbohydrates, and antioxidants modulates gut protein metabolism in humans^1,2,3

¹ From the Appareil Digestif Environnement Nutrition (ADEN) EA4311, the Institute for Biomedical Research, the European Institute for Peptide Research, and Clinical Investigation Center 0204, Rouen University and Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France (MC, SC, SL, JL, CB-F, AL, PDu, and PDe; and the Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (SC and AL), the Department of Gastroenterology (SL and PDu), and the Hospital Pharmacy (AC), Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France

Background: Available data suggest that nutrients can affect intestinal protein metabolism, which contributes to the regulation of gut barrier function.

Objective: We aimed to assess whether an oral nutritional supplement (ONS) containing glutamine (as the dipeptide Ala-Gln), carbohydrates, and antioxidants would modulate duodenal protein metabolism in healthy humans.

Design: Thirty healthy control subjects were included and, over a period of 5 h, received by nasogastric tube either saline or ONS providing 11.7 kcal/kg as 0.877 g Ala-Gln/kg, 3.9 g carbohydrates/kg, and antioxidants (29.25 mg vitamin C/kg, 9.75 mg vitamin E/kg, 195 µg β-carotene/kg, 5.85 mg Se/kg, and 390 µg Zn/kg) or glutamine (0.585 g/kg, 2.34 kcal/kg). Simultaneously, a continuous intravenous infusion of L-[1-¹³C]-leucine was done until endoscopy. Leucine enrichment was assessed by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometric analysis, and mucosal fractional synthesis rate was calculated by using intracellular amino acid enrichment as precursor. Mucosal proteolytic pathways were also evaluated.

Results: ONS infusion resulted in a doubling increase (P < 0.01) of duodenal fractional synthesis rate and a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in cathepsin D–mediated proteolysis compared with saline, whereas proteasome and Ca²⁺-dependent activities were unaffected. ONS infusion significantly (P < 0.01) decreased duodenal glutathione but not glutathione disulfide concentrations or the ratio of glutathione to glutathione disulfide. Insulinemia increased after ONS infusion, whereas plasma essential amino acids decreased. Infusion of glutamine alone did not reproduce ONS effects.

Conclusions: ONS infusion improves duodenal protein balance in healthy humans. Further investigations are needed to study the origin of these effects and to evaluate ONS supply in stressed persons.