Evaluation of sepsis treatment with enteral glutamine in rats.

Objective:: to analyze the influence of glutamine on morphological and histological changes observed in the ileum, lung, kidney and liver of Wistar rats subjected to sepsis.

Methods:: we induced sepsis by cecal ligature and puncture. We divided the animals in two groups: group A, control, with five animals, and group B, experience, with ten animals that received enteral glutamine two days before sepsis induction. We used histological analysis to rank the injury according to a score dependent on the injury severity and the affected organ. The sum of values assigned to each animal resulted in a final grade. We assessed the villi in the ileum, microgoticular steatosis in the liver, interstitial pneumonitis in the lungs, and vacuolation of the proximal convoluted tubules in the kidneys.

Results:: cell lysis and destruction of the villi of the ileum were more intense in the control group when compared with animals receiving glutamine. In the kidney, we found more pronounced vacuolization in the proximal convoluted tubules in the control group compared with animals receiving glutamine. Both microgoticular steatosis and interstitial pneumonitis were similar between groups.

Conclusion:: administration of enteral glutamine prior to sepsis preserved the histological structure.