Enhancement of postoperative recovery by preoperative oral co-administration of the amino acids, cystine and theanine, in a mouse surgical model

• Published in: Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 555 - 561
• Main Authors: Shibakusa, Tetsuro, Mikami, Takashi, Kurihara, Shigekazu, Chiba, Yasumasa, Tsuchiya, Takashi, Miyachi, Tomohiro, Oyama, Atsushi, Tanaka, Kenji A.K, Koyama, Naoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; animal injuries; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; blood; Cystine; Cystine - administration & dosage; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; food intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Glutamates - administration & dosage; Glutathione; Glutathione - analysis; Glutathione - biosynthesis; immune response; Inflammation; Inflammation - prevention & control; Interleukin-6 - blood; Intestine, Small - metabolism; Linear Models; locomotion; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Models, Animal; oral administration; Postoperative Period; Postoperative recovery; Preoperative Care - methods; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; small intestine; surgery; Theanine; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; TNF; LPS; Cystine; vehicle; systemic inflammatory response syndrome; cystine/theanine; V; RT-PCR; Mφ; high-performance liquid chromatography; interleukin; GSH; HPLC; Glutathione; IL; POD; postoperative day; macrophage; Inflammation; Theanine; p38 MAPK; CT; SIRS; reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; enhanced recovery after surgery; Postoperative recovery; tumour necrosis factor; p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase; lipopolysaccharide; ERAS; Postoperative; Rodentia; Oral administration; Metabolic diseases; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Treatment; Mouse; Aminoacid; Animal; Surgery; Models; Preoperative
• ISSN: 0261-5614; 1532-1983
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2012.02.001

Summary Background & aims Glutathione (GSH) is important in the control of immune responses, and its levels decline following trauma. We previously reported that the oral administration of cystine/theanine (CT) increased GSH synthesis and that CT intake inhibited intense exercise-induced inflammation. Based on these results, we hypothesised that CT inhibits surgically induced inflammation and promotes postoperative recovery. Our aim was to confirm this hypothesis using a mouse surgical model. Methods CT or a vehicle (V) was administered orally to mice once a day for 5 days, until the day of surgery. On the day of surgery, a sham operation or an intestinal manipulation was performed 2 h after the oral administration of CT or V. Levels of IL-6 in the blood and GSH in the intestine were analysed 2 h after surgery. Behavioural analysis was also undertaken after surgery. Results Treatment with CT inhibited the manipulation-induced increase in IL-6 in the blood and decrease in GSH in the intestine. There was a significant negative correlation between IL-6 in the blood and GSH in the intestine. In addition, behavioural analysis revealed that CT administration improved locomotor activity and food intake after surgery. Conclusion These results suggest that CT suppresses inflammatory responses by inhibiting the surgically induced decrease in GSH in the small intestine and promotes postoperative recovery.