Original Communications The Effect of Preventive Use of Alanyl-Glutamine on Diaphragm Muscle Function in Cecal Ligation and

ABSTRACT. Background: Low muscle glutamine levels during sepsis are associated with reduced protein synthesis and ele-vated protein breakdown, in particular myofibrillar protein breakdown. Thus, in a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-in-duced sepsis model in the rat, we hypothesized that glutamine pretreatment would protect the diaphragm muscle function. Methods: Eighty-four male Wistar rats weighing between 180 g and 200 g received standard amino acid solution 1.2 g kg1 per day intraperitoneally (IP) or standard amino acid solution 1.2 g kg1 per day plus alanyl-glutamine (GLN) 0.25 g kg1 per day (IP) during the first 6 days of the experiment. On the seventh day, CLP or sham procedures were applied. The sham and CLP groups were equally divided into 3 subgroups according to the termination of the experiment, which took place at either the 24th hour, 48th hour, or 72nd hour. After the compound muscl