Glutamine is a nonessential neutral amino acid that is widely consumed by the intestinal tract in catabolic states. We have followed up the plasma amino acid profile after extensive small-bowel resection in dogs receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with or without glutamine (GLN) or N-acetylglutamine (aGLN) supplementation. Animals were divided into four groups according to the type of surgery (enterectomy or transection) and nutrition (TPN, TPN with aGLN, or TPN with GLN). Plasma GLN levels decreased in group I (enterectomy and TPN) on day 2 (p = .03) and significantly increased on postoperative days in groups III (enterectomy and TPN with aGLN) and IV (enterectomy and TPN with GLN). A significant increase of plasma GLN was observed in groups III and IV compared with group I on days 6 and 8 (p = .03 and p = .01). Plasma alanine decreased in groups with bowel resection, whereas no change was observed in the control group (transection) and the decrease of plasma alanine was significantly less pronounced in groups III and IV compared with group I. The increase of crypt depth and villous height was more pronounced in groups III and IV. These results suggest that GLN is a required substrate for mucosal growth and function, which could improve the intestinal adaptation encountered after enterectomy.

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Massive resections of the intestine including the ileocecal valve are associated with a high mortality. This model of short bowel in the dog consists of an extensive small-bowel resection (remaining jejunum 25 cm) associated with colectomy. Small-bowel adaptation is evidenced by increases of crypt depth (p = 0.02) and villus height (p = 0.001) in animals fed per os. Plasma glutamine levels decrease after surgery, while there is a significant decrease of plasma alanine levels (p < 0.001). This model should allow to pursue investigations on the importance of glutamine as an essential fuel for intestinal mucosa regeneration.