The Role Of Glutamine In The Prevention And Treatment Of Necrotizing Enterocolitis Of Neonatal Rat

ObjectiveTo study the role of glutamine in the prevention and treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis of neonatal rat and the relationship of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) with necrotizing enterocolitis of neonatal rat. Methods40 neonatal rats ,provided by animal laboratory of Fujian Medical University, were randomly divided into 4 groups (A, B, C, D) with 10 rats in each group and without differentiation of gender. After NEC model group A was administered with high dose of glutamine 1g per day in 2 separate doses for 10 days ;Group B was administered with small dose of glutamine 0.3g per day for 3 days; No dose was administered in Group C; Group D was control group. 100% N2 was administered into an airtight container, then 30 rats with NEC were put into and stayed for 1 minute in the container when the concentration of oxygen in the container was read 0 by oxygen detector, and then the rats were put into 4C refrigerator for 10 minutes.Repeat this procedure two times for one day with an interval of 6 hours .After administration of glutamine in treatment groups, all neonatal rats were reunited with their mothers to keep feeded. After the course of treatment all neonatal rats were killed to cut out 2cm of ileum ends .After 4% formalin fixed and paraffin embedded, the tissues were cut into 5-7 slices, then stained by hematoxylin and eosin (HE)and then evaluated by the hospital pathology staff. Another 2cm of ileum ends were taken to detect the concentration of TNF-α in intestine tissue using ELISA. Results1.Mortality and body weight: One rat died and nine rats were alive in each group of NEC.Body weight of rats in control group were reduced without significant difference compared to research groups. 2. Histological lesions: (1) Histological lesions in NEC group were more severe than those in controls: Group Cwas 0% in normal; 11.1% was normal in both group A and group B; in group D 80% innormal. Differences were significant, P<0.05. The results showed that suffocation andinfection played an important role in the NEC occurrence.(2)Histological lesions in the research groups were lighter than those in control group:lesions of serious degree were 0% in group A ,22.2% in group B and 77.7% in group C,which differences were significant, P<0.05.The results indicated that complementalglutamine might reduce the injury of intestine tissue in NEC.(3) Histological lesions in group A lighter than group B: lesions of serious degree was0% in group A; 22.2% in group B, which differences were significant,P<0.05. The resultsshowed that complemental glutamine with high dose and long course had a better resultthan that with small dose and short course in the reduction of injury of NEC intestinetissue.3. Concentration of TNF-α:(1) TNF-α consistent with NEC histopathologic lesions:There was a high concentration of TNF-α in intestine tissue with histological lesions of serious degree, which indicated that TNF-α had a relationship with the development of NEC and had a positive correlation with the degree of the disease.(2) Concentration of TNF-α in treatment group was lower than that of control group, which showed that complemental glutamine might reduce the concentration of TNF-α .(3) Concentration of TNF-α in group A was lower than that of Group B, which showed that complemental glutamine with high dose and long course was more effective than that with small dose and short course in the reduction of TNF-α concentration. Conclusion1. Suffocation and infection played an important role in NEC occurrence.2. Glutamine can reduce the injury of intestine tissue in neonatal rats with NEC.3. Glutamine with high dose and long course had a better result than that with small dose and short course in the reduction of injury of NEC intestine tissue .4. TNF-α had a relationship with the development of NEC and had a positive correlation with the degree of the disease.5. Glutamine can reduce the concentration of TNF-α .6. Glutamine with high dose and long course was more effective than that with small dose and short course in the reduction of TNF-α concentration.