Abstract：OBJECTIVE: Glutamine has protective effects against renal injuries. This study was designed to explore the possible mechanism underlying the protections by examining the effects of glutamine on extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and p38MAPK expression in the kidney in rats with endotoxemia. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-one 18-day-old Wistar rats were randomly injected with LPS (4 mg/kg; n=55), LPS (4 mg/kg)+glutamine (1 mL/kg) (n=55), or normal saline (control group; n=11). The two LPS groups were subdivided into five groups sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, 24 and 72 hrs after administration (n=11 each). ERK-2 and p38MAPK mRNA and protein expression in the kidney were measured by RT-PCR and immunohistrochemistry. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the mRNA and protein expression of both ERK-2 and p38MAPK in the LPS group significantly increased 2, 4, 6, 24 and 72 hrs after administration (P<0.01), and reached a peak at 6 hrs (P<0.01). In the LPS+glutamine group, the trend of ERK-2 and p38MAPK expression was similar to the LPS group but their expressional levels were significantly lower than those in the LPS group at all time points (P<0.05 or 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both ERK-2 and p38MAPK expression increased in young rats with LPS-induced endotoxemia. Glutamine alleviates renal injuries possibly by decreasing the expression of both.［Chin J Contemp Pediatr, 2009, 11 (4):301-305］
ZHOU Ping,TUN Yu-Bin,ZHAO Cheng-Guang et al. Effects of glutamine on extracellular signal regulated kinase and p38MAPK expression in the kidney in young rats with endotoxemia[J]. CJCP, 2009, 11(04): 301-305.
［3］Diks SH, Richel DJ, Peppelenbosch MP. LPS signal transduction:the picture is becoming more complex［J］. Curr Top Med Chem, 2004, 4(11):1115-1126.
［4］Palsson-McDermott EM, O′Neill LA. Signal transduction by the lipopolysa-ccharide receptor, Toll-like receptor-4［J］. Immunology, 2004, 113(2):153-162.
［5］Kyriakis JM, Avruch J. Mammalian mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathways activated by stress and inflammation［J］. Physiol Rev, 2001, 81(2):807-869.
［6］Dunn KL, Espino PS, Drobic B, He S, Davie JR. The Ras-MAPK signal transduction pathway, cancer and chromatin remodeling［J］.Biochem Cell Biol, 2005, 83(1):1-14.
［8］Oehler R, Roth E. Regulative capacity of glutamine［J］.Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 2003, 6（3）:277-282.
［9］Yi GF, Carroll JA, Allee GL, Gaines AM, Kendall DC, Usry JL, et al. Effect of glutamine and spray-dried plasma on growth perfomance, small intestinal morphology, and immune responses of Escherichia coli K88+-challenged weaned pigs［J］. J Anim Sci, 2005, 83(3):634-643.
［10］Evans ME, Jones DP, Ziegler TR. Glutamine prevents cytokine-induced apoptosis in human colonic epithelial cells［J］. J Nutr, 2003, 133(10):3065-3071.
