Dietary glycine prevents chemical-induced experimental colitis in the rat.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In this study, the effect of dietary glycine on experimental colitis induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in the rat was evaluated.
METHODS: Male Wistar rats were fed a diet containing 5% glycine or casein as controls starting 3 days before experiments, and were given a single intracolonic injection of TNBS (50 mg/rat, dissolved in 50% ethanol). Similarly, some rats were given 3% DSS orally in drinking water for 5 days to induce colitis as a second model. The severity of colitis was evaluated pathologically, and tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was measured. Further, mRNA and protein levels for interleukin (IL)-1beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 were detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively.
RESULTS: A diet containing glycine ameliorated diarrhea and body weight loss caused by TNBS, and improved both macroscopic and histologic scores of colitis significantly. TNBS-induced increases in MPO activities in the colonic tissue were blunted significantly in glycine-fed animals. Further, dietary glycine largely prevented increases in IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in the colon 2 days after TNBS, and TNBS induction of CINC and MIP-2 in the colonic tissue also was abrogated by glycine. Importantly, the protective effect of glycine was significant even when TNBS colitis was once established. Moreover, dietary glycine also was preventive in a second, DSS-induced colitis model.
CONCLUSIONS: Dietary glycine prevents chemical-induced colitis by inhibiting induction of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. It is postulated that glycine may be useful for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases as an immunomodulating nutrient.