Oral Glutamine Supplement Inhibits Ascites Formation in Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Mouse Model

Abstract

Background. Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) accompanied with ascites formation causes several distressing symptoms, resulting in poor quality of life.Methods. Twenty BALB/c nude mice generated by direct orthotopic injection of human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells were randomized to receive either a stock laboratory diet or a stock diet supplemented with glutamine. Half of the mice were sacrificed at day 76 to measure the amount of ascitic fluid and pancreatic tumor volume. The remaining mice were subject to survival analysis. Serum albumin levels were estimated every 2 weeks.Results. At day 76, the average amount of ascitic fluid measured in the control group was1.2±0.3 mL compared to0.5±0.5 mL from the glutamine-supplemented mice (P=0.045). The volume of pancreatic tumor was2.60±0.8 cm3in the control group and1.98±1.3 cm3in glutamine-supplemented mice (P=0.39). The mean survival time of glutamine-supplemented mice was prolonged from87±4to101±2days (P=0.0024). Mean serum albumin levels were higher in the glutamine-supplemented group.Conclusions. This preclinical study showed that oral supplementation of glutamine may provide ascites-reducing activity in pancreatic cancer patients with PC, via a cell-mediated immunity-independent mechanism.