Glutamine supplementation, citrulline production, and de novo arginine synthesis: Is there a relation?

Authors: LIGTHART-MELIS, GERDIEN - Texas A&M University; MARINI, JUAN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); ENGELEN, MARIELLE - Texas A&M University; DEUTZ, NICOLAAS - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/30/2015
Publication Date: 4/1/2015
Citation: Ligthart-Melis, G.C., Marini, J.C., Engelen, M.P., Deutz, N.E. 2015. Glutamine supplementation, citrulline production, and de novo arginine synthesis: Is there a relation? [Letter to the Editor]. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 101(4):890-892.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We would like to comment on the recent publications by Buijs et al. The authors hypothesized that a parenteral supplement of glutamine stimulates citrulline formation and enhances de novo arginine synthesis. To test this hypothesis, they conducted an experiment with stable isotopes in patients undergoing abdominal surgery in the postprandial period. On the basis of an increase in plasma citrulline and arginine concentrations, the authors concluded that glutamine, in fact, increases citrulline and arginine production. We would like to explain in this letter why the article by Buijs et al. does not add any new information to their previous work and omits crucial new insights in the glutamine-citrulline-arginine pathways that have emerged since.