Alanyl-Glutamine and Intestinal Barrier Function

[jcc]

Thought this might be of interest to some~


Wasting and Intestinal Barrier Function in Children Taking Alanyl-Glutamine-Supplemented Enteral Formula (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17325559&itool=pubmed_DocSum).
PMID: 17325559 Mar 2007

*Clinical Research Unit & Institute of Biomedicine/Center for Global Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil daggerCenter for Global Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

OBJECTIVE:: We examined the effect of a diet supplemented with alanyl-glutamine (AG) or placebo glycine (G) on intestinal barrier function and growth in children in northeastern Brazil. PATIENTS AND METHODS:: One hundred seven children ages 7.9 to 82.2 months with a weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), or weight-for-height (WHZ) z-score less than -1 were studied. From July 2003 to November 2004, 51 study patients received AG (24 g/d) and 56 received G (25 g/d; isonitrogenic concentration) control for 10 days. Lactulose/mannitol excretion ratio was used as a measure of intestinal permeability and was performed on days 1 and 10 of nutritional supplementation. Weight and height were measured on days 1, 10, 30, and 120 of the protocol. RESULTS:: The patients were similar on admission with regard to age, sex, birth weight, nutritional status, lactulose/mannitol ratio, and serum concentrations of glutamine and arginine. The percentage of lactulose urinary excretion significantly improved (decreased) in children receiving AG for 10 days but not in those receiving glycine controls. AG significantly increased cumulative change over 120 days in WHZ and WAZ scores but not HAZ scores after adjustment for age and season in comparison with the placebo glycine group. CONCLUSIONS:: Children tolerated AG-supplemented enteral formula well, and it significantly improved cumulative WHZ and WAZ over 120 days in comparison with children in the placebo glycine group. The data also suggested a beneficial effect of AG in the barrier function paracellular pathway, albeit with reduced mannitol excretion. Thus, although the effect of AG on reduced mannitol concentration requires clarification, AG appears to improve nutrition and barrier function.
PMID: 17325559

[NancyM]

I wonder if AG is different from the L-Glutamine I buy?

All I know is it seems to really help when my bowels get irritable. I think I'll print this for my rheumatologist, he's a believer in leaky gut/autoimmune arthrtis.

[Zonulin]

Nancy - I was interested in this, too. The mother of the sick girl I'm "helping" said the naturopath recommended a strong probiotic and L-glutamine while they're waiting for the results of more testing. I found this from a Brazilian website:

Glutamine free form (L-glutamine) is poorly soluble in aqueous solution, highly unstable in low pH and high temperatures. Due to such limitations it has been recommended the administration of glutamine precursors, such as glycil-glutamine (Gly-Gln) or L-alanyl-glutamine (Ala-Gln) for their high solubility in water and stability during preparation, storage and administration of nutritional solutions when nutritional therapy is required. Hydrolysis occurs as soon as the dipeptide Ala-Gln is introduced into the blood stream, releasing alanine and glutamine.10

I'll have to do more research, since it sounds as though L-glutamine and L-alanyl-glutamine are different. I know The Gluten Connection book recommends L-glutamine for its gut-healing properties...

Karen known for her gut-wrenching properties

[Zonulin]

Here's what The Gluten Connection has to say about L-glutamine:

(Page 131): Glutamine is an important amino acid in the GI tract because it modulates inflammation and promotes repair mechanisms. While it is not considered essential, because the body can actually produce it, we synthesize large quantities of it to produce from 30 to 35 percent of our total amino acid pool. Glutamine is necessary for the synthesis of glucosamine, which, in turn, is necessary for the synthesis of mucin, the protective layer in the gut. Research has shown that patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have diminished amounts of the enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of mucin.
Glutamine is important for nourishing and restoring the intestinal villi that have been affected by immune reactivity and inflammation. It also helps prevent bacteria from attaching to the intestinal wall and growing and spreading. ...We form more toxins when we are sick and inflamed and when our immune systems are impaired. We are less able to clear these toxins when we do not have enough vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients such as glutamine, which support our body's detoxification mechanisms. Supplemental doses of glutamine range from 1 gram to 8 grams per day. My recommendation: Take 500 to 3,000 milligrams of L-glutamine.

Karen