Glutamine Dipeptide—Supplemented Parenteral Nutrition Reverses Gut Atrophy, Disaccharidase Enzyme Activity, and Absorption in Rats

ABSTRACT. Background: Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is associated with intestinal atrophy and dysfunction possibly at-tributed to the absence of the nonessential amino acid glutamine from commercially available TPN solutions because of the insta-bility of the monoamino acid during heat sterilization and stor-age. The use of stable dipeptides may overcome this problem. In this study we tested the hypothesis that glutamine dipeptide supplementation with alanyl-L-glutamine during TPN for 10 days would reverse small bowel atrophy and TPN-induced dysfunc-tion in rats. Methods: A conventional TPN solution (250 kcal/kg bw) was compared with an isocaloric and isonitrogenous TPN supplemented with alanyl-L-glutamine dipeptide. A food-fed con-trol group was included (n = 6 each group). Jejunum mucosal architecture, absorption of water and glucose, and disacchari-dase activity of maltase and alkaline phosphatase were evalu