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Glutamine Independently Reduces Hospital Stay: Presented at ACS

By Crystal Phend

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- October 25, 2005 -- The nutrient glutamine, which is often administered as part of nutritional supplementation, on its own can reduce the length of hospital stay and maintains lean body mass after elective surgery, researchers reported here at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

As pat of the first interventional study to evaluate enteral alanyl-glutamine in this setting, Adebola O. E. Obayan, MD, PhD, Research Affiliate, Department of Surgery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada, and colleagues examined outcomes and antioxidant levels in 69 elective surgery patients.

Dr. Obayan presented the study findings here on October 17^th.

After major surgery, muscles break down protein to release as much as 40% of the body's glutamine, which helps repair tissue and fosters overall recovery. However, this process causes oxidative stress, as free radicals from the breakdown process accumulate and can adversely affect clinical outcome.

Alanyl-glutamine is a stable, clear form of glutamine and gives the body a source of glutamine without breaking down muscle or causing oxidative stress, Dr. Obayan explained.

The double blind, prospective trial randomized patients to placebo or alanyl-glutamine at an enteral dose of 0.3 g/kg, "a very low dose," he said, administered beginning within 8 hours of surgery. The researchers evaluated biomarkers of oxidative stress throughout a 72-hour period after surgery. They also evaluated clinical outcomes using the Resource Intensity Weighing (RIW) and changes in lean body mass.

Supplementation with glutamine significantly increased blood levels of glutamine (P = .002) and antioxidants (P = .01) in blood over 72-hour. It also significantly decreased the production of oxidants (P = .005).

Hospital stay was reduced by 1 day in the glutamine group compared to placebo. The treatment group also maintained RIW scores (P = .0005) and maintained lean body mass compared to placebo.

Dr. Obayan explained that this loading of glutamine circulation in the blood might do even more good before surgery than after surgery since the first 24 hours after surgery are so critical.

Based on these results, Dr. Obayan and colleagues recommend implementing the use of alanyl glutamine before elective surgeries.


[Presentation title: Enteral Alanyl Glutamine as Effective in Improving Clinical Outcomes and Reducing Oxidative Stress after Major Surgery.]

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