Scope: This study investigates the potential of glutamine to mitigate intestinal mucositis and dysbiosis caused by the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).
Methods and results: Over twelve days, Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice are given low (0.5 mg kg-1) or high (2 mg kg-1) doses of L-Glutamine daily, with 5-FU (50 mg kg-1) administered between days six and nine. Mice receiving only 5-FU exhibited weight loss, diarrhea, abnormal cell growth, and colonic inflammation, correlated with decreased mucin proteins, increased endotoxins, reduced fecal short-chain fatty acids, and altered gut microbiota. Glutamine supplementation counteracted these effects by inhibiting the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B (TLR4/NF-κB) pathway, modulating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase 1 (Nrf2/HO-1) oxidative stress proteins, and increasing mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) levels, thereby enhancing microbial diversity and protecting intestinal mucosa.
Conclusions: These findings underscore glutamine's potential in preventing 5-FU-induced mucositis by modulating gut microbiota and inflammation pathways.
Keywords: 5‐fluorouracil; glutamine; intestinal mucositis; microbiota.
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