Background: Positive effects of high dose growth hormone and glutamine (GH + GLN) on body composition in short bowel patients have been described. Lack of effects on intestinal absorption found in some studies has been ascribed to concomitant essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. This study describes changes in body weight (BW) and composition, 24-h urine creatinine excretion, intestinal fatty acid absorption (total, saturated, unsaturated and EFA), and EFA status in relation to treatment with GH + GLN in 8 short bowel patients.
Methods: A double-blind, crossover study between placebo and growth hormone (mean, 0.12 mg/kg/day) plus oral (mean, 28 g/day) and parenteral glutamine (mean, 5.2 g/day) for 28 days. Body composition was measured by dual-energy absorptiometry (DEXA) scans. Intestinal fatty acid absorption was evaluated in balance studies, and EFAs were measured in plasma phospholipids by gas liquid chromatography.
Results: Active treatment did not increase BW, lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM) and bone mass significantly compared with placebo treatment, but BW increased 1.03 kg (1.7%, P < 0.05), LBM 2.93 kg (8.7%, P < 0.001) and FM decreased 2.41 kg (10.6%, P < 0.001) in comparison with baseline. Twenty-four-hour urine creatinine excretion did not differ between study periods. No changes in intestinal absorption of fatty acids were seen, and no changes in EFAs measured in plasma phospholipids were observed. Only 1 of 8 patients, who did not receive parenteral lipids, had a Holman index above 0.2, indicative of EFA deficiency. All developed peripheral oedema.
Conclusions: Combined high dose growth hormone and glutamine administered for 4 weeks, did not improve absorption of fatty acids or EFA status in short bowel patients. No changes in BW or composition were seen when comparing treatment to placebo periods. The increase in LBM measured by DEXA scan, comparing treatment and baseline periods, was not accompanied by an increase in the 24-h urinary creatinine excretion and is suspected to be associated with an accumulation in extracellular fluids.