Reviewer's report
Title:Dietary L-Arginine Supplementation Reduces Methotrexate-Induced
Intestinal Mucosal Injury in Rat
Version: 2Date:15 December 2011
Reviewer: Moïse Coëffier
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
1/ The authors choose to provide 2% Arginine in drinking water. What was the
water intake in the different groups? The provision of arg in different models is
associated with beneficial or deleterious effects according to the dose of supplied
Arginine. It is thus important to know the dose of Arg really received by rats.
2/ In the present study, Arg was provided in drinking water in MTX-ARG group. In
MTX group, animals received only water. Thus there was no isonitrogenous MTX
group. Thus, the authors should be not able to conclude that Arg supply limits
intestinal damage. Will other amino acids have similar effects? An additional
group MTX-isonitrogenous AA should be done.
3/ How were expressed the mRNA levels? Bax to erk2? What was the
housekeeping gene used to quantify bax and bcl-2 mRNA? For my opinion, Erk-2
mRNA cannot be used as housekeeping mRNA.
Minor Essential Revisions
1/ How the authors explain the difference between mRNA expression of BCl-2 in
Jejunum and ileum in the MTX-ARG group?
2/ Did westernblot analysis of proliferation and apoptosis markers perform both in
jejunum and ileum or only in jejunum. This point should be clarified.
3/ In figure 4, the standard error and statistical analysis should be provided in the
densitometric analysis.
Discretionary Revisions
1/ In the introduction, the part on immunonutrition using impact solution is not
necessary because in the present study, authors did not use n-3 fatty acids and
data on this immunoenhancing diet are obtained in other pathophysiological
conditions.
2/ Figure 4 legend should be more detailed
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
Reviewer's report
Title:Dietary L-Arginine Supplementation Reduces Methotrexate-Induced
Intestinal Mucosal Injury in Rat
Version: 2Date:15 December 2011
Reviewer: Moïse Coëffier
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
1/ The authors choose to provide 2% Arginine in drinking water. What was the
water intake in the different groups? The provision of arg in different models is
associated with beneficial or deleterious effects according to the dose of supplied
Arginine. It is thus important to know the dose of Arg really received by rats.
2/ In the present study, Arg was provided in drinking water in MTX-ARG group. In
MTX group, animals received only water. Thus there was no isonitrogenous MTX
group. Thus, the authors should be not able to conclude that Arg supply limits
intestinal damage. Will other amino acids have similar effects? An additional
group MTX-isonitrogenous AA should be done.
3/ How were expressed the mRNA levels? Bax to erk2? What was the
housekeeping gene used to quantify bax and bcl-2 mRNA? For my opinion, Erk-2
mRNA cannot be used as housekeeping mRNA.
Minor Essential Revisions
1/ How the authors explain the difference between mRNA expression of BCl-2 in
Jejunum and ileum in the MTX-ARG group?
2/ Did westernblot analysis of proliferation and apoptosis markers perform both in
jejunum and ileum or only in jejunum. This point should be clarified.
3/ In figure 4, the standard error and statistical analysis should be provided in the
densitometric analysis.
Discretionary Revisions
1/ In the introduction, the part on immunonutrition using impact solution is not
necessary because in the present study, authors did not use n-3 fatty acids and
data on this immunoenhancing diet are obtained in other pathophysiological
conditions.
2/ Figure 4 legend should be more detailed
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Dietary L-Arginine Supplementation Reduces Methotrexate-Induced
Intestinal Mucosal Injury in Rat
Version: 2Date:15 December 2011
Reviewer: Moïse Coëffier
Reviewer's report:
Major Compulsory Revisions
1/ The authors choose to provide 2% Arginine in drinking water. What was the
water intake in the different groups? The provision of arg in different models is
associated with beneficial or deleterious effects according to the dose of supplied
Arginine. It is thus important to know the dose of Arg really received by rats.
2/ In the present study, Arg was provided in drinking water in MTX-ARG group. In
MTX group, animals received only water. Thus there was no isonitrogenous MTX
group. Thus, the authors should be not able to conclude that Arg supply limits
intestinal damage. Will other amino acids have similar effects? An additional
group MTX-isonitrogenous AA should be done.
3/ How were expressed the mRNA levels? Bax to erk2? What was the
housekeeping gene used to quantify bax and bcl-2 mRNA? For my opinion, Erk-2
mRNA cannot be used as housekeeping mRNA.
Minor Essential Revisions
1/ How the authors explain the difference between mRNA expression of BCl-2 in
Jejunum and ileum in the MTX-ARG group?
2/ Did westernblot analysis of proliferation and apoptosis markers perform both in
jejunum and ileum or only in jejunum. This point should be clarified.
3/ In figure 4, the standard error and statistical analysis should be provided in the
densitometric analysis.
Discretionary Revisions
1/ In the introduction, the part on immunonutrition using impact solution is not
necessary because in the present study, authors did not use n-3 fatty acids and
data on this immunoenhancing diet are obtained in other pathophysiological
conditions.
2/ Figure 4 legend should be more detailed
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
assistant