Absorption of enterally administered N-acetyl-l-glutamine versus glutamine in pigs.

Background And Aims: Glutamine instability in liquid media suggests that evaluation of reasonable enteral nutrition sources of glutamine is needed. N-acetyl-l-glutamine offers no instability and no intolerance problems. This research was conducted to study the absorption and apparent digestibility of glutamine versus N-acetyl-l-glutamine.

Dietary nucleotides modulate mitochondrial function of intestinal mucosa in weanling rats with chronic diarrhea.

Background: Chronic diarrhea during early infancy is characterized by intestinal mucosal injury, and as a consequence, the mitochondrial system of oxidation and reduction and energy production is altered. Since dietary nucleotides have been associated with the process of intestinal mucosal repair in rats with chronic diarrhea, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of dietary nucleotides on the functioning of mucosal mitochondria.

Methods: Weanling rats were fed with a semipurified synthetic diet (C) or the same diet in which carbohydrates were substituted by lactose (L), resulting in chronic diarrhea.

Proliferation, functionality, and extracellular matrix production of hepatocytes and a liver stellate cell line: a comparison between single cultures and cocultures.

Hepatic fibrosis is a common feature of many chronic liver diseases. Given the ethical considerations of studies with humans and the limited availability of liver biopsies, there is a need for in vitro models to understand the molecular events involved in hepatic fibrosis. The aim of this work was to compare the behavior of two hepatic cell types involved in fibrogenesis: a liver stellate cell line (CFSC-2G) and primary hepatocytes, both in single and mixed cultures.