Alanyl-glutamine as Oral Rehydration & Nutrition Therapy

DESCRIPTION (Scanned from the Applicant's Abstract): This resubmission with substantially sharpened goals and experimental design based on considerable new preliminary data now fully addresses the reviewers' questions. Building on promising preliminary data, we shall define the dose effects of alanyl-glutamine relative to glutamine, glucose, and other glutamine derivatives (including acetyl-glutamine) both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, in vitro studies will examine intestinal epithelial repair, differentiation and prevention of apoptosis. In vivo studies will examine cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP-mediated secretory diarrhea induced by the toxins of V. cholerae and ST of E. coli, respectively, and the inflammatory, destructive enteritis induced by C. difficile toxin A or cytotoxic chemotherapy. Our overall goal for this first year is to have essential in vitro and in vivo data to support pilot human studies of alanyl-glutamine's effectiveness. Success will open commercial development of an effective new ORNT product for enhancing intestinal repair and absorptive function that could have relevance across a diverse range of human and animal applications. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: NOT AVAILABLE