Intra-Amniotic Administration of l-Glutamine Promotes Intestinal Maturation And Enteroendocrine Stimulation In Chick Embryos

Initial nutritional stimulation is a key driving force for small intestinal maturation, and is mediated by enteroendocrine L-cells signaling. In chick embryos, administration of specific nutrients into the amniotic fluid stimulates early development of the small intestine. In this study, we examined the effects of intra-amniotic administration of l-glutamine (Gln) on enterocyte morphological and functional maturation and L-cell signaling before and after hatch. Gln stimulation at embryonic day 17 caused an increase in enterocyte and microvilli dimensions by 10 and 20%, respectively, within 48h. Post-hatch, enterocytes and microvilli were 20% longer in Gln-treated chicks. Correspondingly, mRNA expression of brush border nutrient transporters PepT-1 and SGLT-1 and tight junction proteins TJP-1, TJP-2 and Occludin was significantly upregulated before and after hatch (P<0.05) in Gln-treated chicks. We then evaluated the effects of Gln stimulation on enteroendocrine signaling by locating L-cells in the developing jejunum and observed significant increases in mRNA expression of L-cell signaling components GLP-2R, IGF-1 and IGF-1R before and after hatch, in response to Gln stimulation (P<0.05). Our findings link primary nutrient stimulation of L-cells to enterocyte morphological and functional maturation and provide a model for investigating the effects of specific nutrients on enteroendocrine signaling in the developing small intestine.