The effect of heme oxygenase-1 induction by glutamine on TNBS-induced colitis

Background Inflammatory bowel disease is a multifactorial inflammatory disease of the colon and rectum with an unknown etiology. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction by glutamine could protect colitis-induced damage from oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic damage. Method The rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 had TNBS colitis alone, group 2 had TNBS-induced colitis and glutamine 1 g/kg/day intragastric gavage for 3 days before TNBS solution administration and 15 days following TNBS solution administration, group 3 had glutamine alone 1 g/kg/day intragastric gavage for 18 days before being killed, and group 4 had isotonic saline solution alone 1 cm³/rat intragastric gavage for 18 days before being killed. Colonic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, glutathione (GSH) levels, caspase-3 activities, and HO-1 expressions of the killed rats were measured. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and HO-1 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemical examination of the colonic tissue. Result TNBS-induced colitis significantly increased the colonic MDA levels, caspase-3 activities, and HO-1 expression in comparison to the control group. Glutamine treatment was associated with increased HO-1 expression and GSH levels and decreased MDA levels and caspase-3 activity. Histopathological examination revealed that the intestinal mucosal structure was preserved in the glutamine-treated group. In addition to this, treatment with glutamine significantly increased HO-1 expression and decreased NF-κB expression by immunohistochemistry when compared to the TNBS-induced colitis group. Conclusion Glutamine reduced colonic damage in TNBS-induced colitis. The mechanism of the protection associated with glutamine was due to antioxidant, antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and HO-1 induction effects.