L-Alanyl-Glutamine Attenuates Oxidative Stress in Liver Transplantation Patients

Abstract

Background: Ischemia/reperfusion injury during liver transplantation can cause severe damage to the graft. The objective of this randomized, double-blind study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of L-alanyl-glutamine on the liver graft.

Methods: The sample included 33 patients from a liver transplantation service in Northeastern Brazil. Before cold ischemia, the patients received 50 g of L-alanyl-glutamine (treatment group) or saline (control group) through the portal vein. The graft was biopsied at the time of recovery, at the beginning of warm ischemia, and at the end of transplantation to determine malondialdehyde (MDA), heat-shock protein (Hsp)70, nuclear factor kappa-beta (NFkB), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels.

Results: The blood parameters were similar in the two groups. In the treatment group, MDA did not increase at the beginning of cold ischemia and decreased at the end of transplantation. This phenomenon was not observed in the control group. GSH, SOD, Hsp70, and NFkB levels were similar in the two groups.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that preconditioning with L-alanyl-glutamine attenuates the effects of ischemia/reperfusion-related oxidative stress and reduces lipid peroxidation in the grafts of liver transplantation patients.