Curtin University

About: Curtin University is a education organization based out in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Zircon. The organization has 14257 authors who have published 48997 publications receiving 1336531 citations. The organization is also known as: WAIT & Western Australian Institute of Technology.

Glutamine: Metabolism and immune function, supplementation and clinical translation

Abstract: Glutamine is the most abundant and versatile amino acid in the body. In health and disease, the rate of glutamine consumption by immune cells is similar or greater than glucose. For instance, in vitro and in vivo studies have determined that glutamine is an essential nutrient for lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production, macrophage phagocytic plus secretory activities, and neutrophil bacterial killing. Glutamine release to the circulation and availability is mainly controlled by key metabolic organs, such as the gut, liver, and skeletal muscles. During catabolic/hypercatabolic situations glutamine can become essential for metabolic function, but its availability may be compromised due to the impairment of homeostasis in the inter-tissue metabolism of amino acids. For this reason, glutamine is currently part of clinical nutrition supplementation protocols and/or recommended for immune suppressed individuals. However, in a wide range of catabolic/hypercatabolic situations (e.g., ill/critically ill, post-trauma, sepsis, exhausted athletes), it is currently difficult to determine whether glutamine supplementation (oral/enteral or parenteral) should be recommended based on the amino acid plasma/bloodstream concentration (also known as glutaminemia). Although the beneficial immune-based effects of glutamine supplementation are already established, many questions and evidence for positive in vivo outcomes still remain to be presented. Therefore, this paper provides an integrated review of how glutamine metabolism in key organs is important to cells of the immune system. We also discuss glutamine metabolism and action, and important issues related to the effects of glutamine supplementation in catabolic situations.

Thermal evolution of Archean basement rocks from the eastern part of the North China craton and its bearing on tectonic setting

Abstract: The basement rocks in the eastern zone of the North China craton are composed predominantly of pretectonic tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic gneisses and syntectonic granitoids, with rafts of supracrustal rocks consisting of ultramafic to felsic volcanic and sedimentary rocks, metamorphosed over a range of conditions from greenschist to granulite facies. Most mafic granulites, amphibolites, and some pelitic gneisses and schists preserve the prograde, peak, and post-peak textures. The prograde metamorphic stage is indicated by mineral inclusions within minerals of the peak stage, represented by the assemblages of hornblende + plagioclase + quartz ± biotite in mafic granulites, chlorite + actinolite + epidote + plagioclase + quartz in amphibolites, and biotite + plagioclase + quartz in pelitic gneisses. The peak stage is shown by assemblages of orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + garnet + plagioclase + quartz in the mafic granulites, hornblende + plagioclase + quartz + garnet in garnetiferous amphibolites, ...