Intravenous free and dipeptide-bound glutamine maintains intestinal microcirculation in experimental endotoxemia.

Objective: The administration of glutamine (Gln), which is depleted in critical illness, is associated with an improvement of gut metabolism, structure, and function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of intravenous Gln and its galenic formulation, l-alanyl-l-glutamine dipeptide (AlaGln), on the intestinal microcirculation during experimental endotoxemia using intravital fluorescence microscopy. Gln or AlaGln administration was performed as pretreatment or post-treatment, respectively.

Acute high-dose sodium selenite administration improves intestinal microcirculation without affecting cytokine release in experimental endotoxemia.

We evaluated the effects of acute high-dose sodium selenite (SEL) administration on the intestinal microcirculation and the release of the cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-10 in experimental endotoxemia (induced by lipopolysaccharide-LPS). Three groups of animals (n=30) were studied: control group, endotoxemic group (15 mg kg(-1) i.v.