Glutamine supplementation in bone marrow transplantation.

An increasing number of clinical investigations have focused on supplementation of specialized enteral and parenteral nutrition with the amino acid glutamine. This interest derives from strong evidence in animal models and emerging clinical data on the efficacy of glutamine administration following chemotherapy, trauma, sepsis and other catabolic conditions. Glutamine has protein-anabolic effects in stressed patients and, among many key metabolic functions, is used as a major fuel/substrate by cells of the gastrointestinal epithelium and the immune system. These effects may be particularly advantageous in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT), who exhibit post-transplant body protein wasting, gut mucosal injury and immunodeficiency. Studies to date indicate that enteral and parenteral glutamine supplementation is well tolerated and potentially efficacious after high-dose chemotherapy or BMT for cancer treatment. Although not all studies demonstrate benefits, sufficient positive data have been published to suggest that this nutrient should be considered as adjunctive metabolic support of some individuals undergoing marrow transplant. However, BMT is a rapidly evolving clinical procedure with regard to the conditioning and supportive protocols utilized. Thus, additional randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trials are indicated to define the efficacy of glutamine with current BMT regimens.