Experimental study to show that growth hormone treatment before trauma increases glutamine uptake in the intestinal tract.

This study examined whether growth hormone treatment deprived the intestinal tract of glutamine after trauma. Piglets were treated with growth hormone 24 units daily 3 days before and at the start of the trauma (GH-3, n = 8) or at the start of the trauma only (GH-1, n = 8). Eight piglets acted as non-treated controls. The trauma consisted of a standardized abdominal surgical procedure. Primed constant infusions of U-14C-glutamine were given. Intestinal, hepatic, renal and hindleg glutamine fluxes were measured. Growth hormone treatment increased mean(s.e.m.) net intestinal glutamine uptake: GH-3, 39.7(9.4) and 48.7(12.7) mumol/min; GH-1, 33.2(5.5) and 25.7(12.3) mumol/min; controls, 19.5(10.3) and 2.0(15.3) mumol/min at 1 h and 5 h after trauma, respectively, (P = 0.02). The treatment increased glutamine oxidation (P = 0.025), and decreased hindleg glutamine net (P = 0.0052) and absolute release (P = 0.0063), glutamine rate of appearance (P = 0.01), and percentage of glucose coming from glutamine (P = 0.05). Growth hormone treatment before trauma increased intestinal glutamine uptake.