Effects of glutamine and glutamate supplementation in dogs with hemorrhagic enteritis

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of glutamine and glutamate supplementation on hematological and biochemical biomarkers in dogs with clinical enteritis. Fifteen young dogs (3–10 months) with clinical enteritis were divided into two groups: group 1 (G-CON)—five animals subjected to medical treatment without supplementation and group 2 (G-GLN)—ten animals subjected to medical treatment and orally supplemented with 0.5 g/Kg per day of a glutamine and glutamate for 14 days. The following variables were measured: blood count, plasma glutamine and glutamate, total plasma protein (TPP), albumin, globulin, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), cholesterol, and triglycerides. Supplementation increased the concentrations of GLN, PPT, globulin, albumin, urea, and triglycerides (P < 0.05). Erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, red blood indices, and platelet count were not affected by supplementation. There were significant elevations in total white blood cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes (P < 0.05) after supplementation, but other variables were not significantly different. A mixture of Gln + Glu along with drug treatment was therefore capable of producing elevations in immune cells (leukocytes and lymphocytes) and biomarkers associated with improved protein metabolism and health that favor recovery of the animals without causing damage to renal and hepatic systems.