scholarly journals Comparison of different techniques for estimating rates of protein synthesis in vivo in healthy and bacteraemic rats

1985 ◽  
Vol 226 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
J J Pomposelli ◽  
J D Palombo ◽  
K J Hamawy ◽  
B R Bistrian ◽  
G L Blackburn ◽  
...  

Previous studies have reported that use of a flooding dose of radiolabelled amino acid is a more precise technique than the constant infusion of tracer quantities for determining rates of protein synthesis in rapidly turning-over tissues in the rat. However, there has been little direct investigation comparing different methods under comparable conditions. Initially, 12 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing approx. 100 g, were randomized to receive either a bolus intravenous injection of 100 mumol of L-leucine (containing 30 microCi of [1-14C]leucine)/100 g body wt., or a continuous 2 h tracer infusion of [14C]leucine. In the second phase of the experiment, 12 additional rats were intravenously injected with 1 × 10(8) colony-forming units of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 16 h later randomized to receive one of two infusions described above. Total protein synthesis as well as fractional synthesis rates were determined in liver, rectus muscle and whole body. Synthesis rates measured in liver, muscle and whole body were significantly higher in bacteraemic rats than in healthy rats. The flooding-dose methodology gave significantly higher estimates of protein synthesis in the liver, skeletal muscle and whole body than did the continuous-infusion method using direct measurement of the acid-soluble fraction from the respective tissue. Indirect estimates of whole-body protein synthesis based on plasma enrichments and stochastic modelling gave the lowest values.

1999 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 639-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W. M. OLDE DAMINK ◽  
Ivo DE BLAAUW ◽  
Nicolaas E. P. DEUTZ ◽  
Peter B. SOETERS

Glutamine is considered to be a ‘conditionally’ essential amino acid. During situations of severe stress like sepsis or after trauma there is a fall in plasma glutamine levels, enhanced glutamine turnover and intracellular muscle glutamine depletion. Under these conditions, decreased intramuscular glutamine concentration correlates with reduced rates of protein synthesis. It has therefore been hypothesized that intracellular muscle glutamine levels have a regulatory role in muscle protein turnover rates. Administration of the glutamine synthetase inhibitor methionine sulphoximine (MSO) was used to decrease glutamine levels in male Wistar rats. Immediately after the MSO treatment (t = 0 h), and at t = 6 h and t = 12 h, rats received intraperitoneal injections (10 ml/100 g body weight) with glutamine (200 mM) to test whether this attenuated the fall in plasma and intracellular muscle glutamine. Control animals received alanine and saline after MSO treatment, while saline was also given to a group of normal rats. At t = 18 h rats received a primed constant infusion of l-[2,6-3H]phenylalanine. A three-pool compartment tracer model was used to measure whole-body protein turnover and muscle protein kinetics. Administration of MSO resulted in a 40% decrease in plasma glutamine and a 60% decrease in intracellular muscle glutamine, both of which were successfully attenuated by glutamine infusions. The decreased intracellular muscle glutamine levels had no effect on whole-body protein turnover or muscle protein kinetics. Also, glutamine supplementation did not alter these parameters. Alanine supplementation increased both hindquarter protein synthesis and breakdown but the net balance of phenylalanine remained unchanged. In conclusion, our results show that decreased plasma and muscle glutamine levels have no effect on whole-body protein turnover or muscle protein kinetics. Therefore, it is unlikely that, in vivo, the intracellular muscle concentration of glutamine is a major regulating factor in muscle protein kinetics.


Author(s):  
Jorn Trommelen ◽  
Andrew M. Holwerda ◽  
Philippe J. M. Pinckaers ◽  
Luc J. C. van Loon

All human tissues are in a constant state of remodelling, regulated by the balance between tissue protein synthesis and breakdown rates. It has been well-established that protein ingestion stimulates skeletal muscle and whole-body protein synthesis. Stable isotope-labelled amino acid methodologies are commonly applied to assess the various aspects of protein metabolism in vivo in human subjects. However, to achieve a more comprehensive assessment of post-prandial protein handling in vivo in human subjects, intravenous stable isotope-labelled amino acid infusions can be combined with the ingestion of intrinsically labelled protein and the collection of blood and muscle tissue samples. The combined application of ingesting intrinsically labelled protein with continuous intravenous stable isotope-labelled amino acid infusion allows the simultaneous assessment of protein digestion and amino acid absorption kinetics (e.g. release of dietary protein-derived amino acids into the circulation), whole-body protein metabolism (whole-body protein synthesis, breakdown and oxidation rates and net protein balance) and skeletal muscle metabolism (muscle protein fractional synthesis rates and dietary protein-derived amino acid incorporation into muscle protein). The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the various aspects of post-prandial protein handling and metabolism with a focus on insights obtained from studies that have applied intrinsically labelled protein under a variety of conditions in different populations.


1988 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yosuke Aoyagi ◽  
Iwao Tasaki ◽  
Jun-ichi Okumura ◽  
Tatsuo Muramatsu

1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (1) ◽  
pp. R106-R116
Author(s):  
N. W. Istfan ◽  
P. R. Ling ◽  
G. L. Blackburn ◽  
B. R. Bistrian

To evaluate the accuracy of in vivo estimates of protein synthesis and breakdown, measurements of plasma and tissue leucine kinetics were made in rat tumor tissues at different conditions of growth by use of constant intravenous infusion of [14C]leucine. These measurements were made in Yoshida sarcoma tumors on days 10 and 13 after implantation, with and without tumor necrosis factor (TNF) infusion and on day 10 in Walker-256 carcinosarcoma. Expressed as micromoles of leucine per gram tissue, tumor protein breakdown increased (P less than 0.01) from 0.32 +/- 0.02 to 0.52 +/- 0.09 (SE) mumol/h, with progress of the Yoshida sarcoma tumor between days 10 and 13 after implantation. Similarly, TNF increased tumor proteolysis on day 10 (0.43 +/- 0.03 mumol.h-1.g-1, P less than 0.05 vs. day 10 control) but not on day 13 after implantation of the Yoshida tumor. Estimates of growth derived from the difference between protein synthesis and breakdown rates were not statistically different from those based on actual tumor volume changes in both tumor models. However, estimates of “whole body” protein metabolism (plasma leucine flux) were not affected either by tumor aging or by treatment with TNF. This study shows that in vivo estimates of tissue protein metabolism based on our [14C]leucine constant infusion model closely reflect the growth characteristic of that tissue. A cytotoxic perfusion-independent effect for intravenous TNF on growing tumor tissue is demonstrable as increased protein breakdown. Furthermore, the commonly used concept of whole body protein metabolism, derived solely from tracer dilution in plasma, is an oversimplification.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (6) ◽  
pp. E1105-E1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenqi Liu ◽  
Eugene J. Barrett

The body's protein mass not only provides architectural support for cells but also serves vital roles in maintaining their function and survival. The whole body protein pool, as well as that of individual tissues, is determined by the balance between the processes of protein synthesis and degradation. These in turn are regulated by interactions among hormonal, nutritional, neural, inflammatory, and other influences. Prolonged changes in either the synthetic or degradative processes (or both) that cause protein wasting increase morbidity and mortality. The application of tracer kinetic methods, combined with measurements of the activity of components of the cellular signaling pathways involved in protein synthesis and degradation, affords new insights into the regulation of both protein synthesis and breakdown in vivo. These insights, including those from studies of insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, growth hormone, and amino acid-mediated regulation of muscle and whole body protein turnover, provide opportunities to develop and test therapeutic approaches with promise to minimize or prevent these adverse health consequences.


1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 879 ◽  
Author(s):  
PM Harris ◽  
DW Dellow ◽  
BR Sinclair

An arterio-venous preparation was developed which allowed infusion into, and/or sampling from, branches of the deep circumflex iliac artery and vein supplying and draining a discrete area of skin on the abdominal flank of Romney sheep.Measurements of blood flow (using dye dilution techniques), utilization or output of energy metabolites (oxygen, glucose, lactate and acetate) and amino acid metabolism were made in relation to whole body protein and energy metabolism.Measurements on the patch suggested that blood flow to the total skin was about 6% of cardiac output but that only 1-2% of whole body oxygen utilization occurred in the skin. This was partly accounted for by a significant proportion of glucose uptake (1.15 g day-1) being anaerobically oxidized to lactate (0.41 g day-1). Measurements of protein synthesis in the patch showed that between 10 and 16% of whole body protein synthesis occurs in the skin.Results from the preparation demonstrate that it is a useful procedure to study metabolism in a defined patch of skin in the intact animal.


1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (1) ◽  
pp. E183-E186 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. De Feo ◽  
E. Volpi ◽  
P. Lucidi ◽  
G. Cruciani ◽  
F. Santeusanio ◽  
...  

The antimalaric drug chloroquine is a well known inhibitor of lysosomal proteolysis in vitro. The present study tests the hypothesis that therapeutic doses of the drug decrease proteolysis also in vivo in humans. Leucine kinetics were determined in 20 healthy volunteers given 12 and 1.5 h before the studies 250 and 500 mg, respectively, of chloroquine phosphate (n = 10) or similar tablets of placebo (n = 10). Chloroquine reduced the rates of leucine appearance, a measure of whole body proteolysis, from 2.45 +/- 0.08 to 2.19 +/- 0.08 mumol.kg-1.min-1 (P = 0.038) and those of nonoxidative leucine disposal, an estimate of whole body protein synthesis, from 2.16 +/- 0.08 to 1.95 +/- 0.06 mumol.kg-1.min-1 (P = 0.050). The drug resulted also in a marginally significant (P = 0.051) decrement in the plasma concentrations of glucose. The effects of chloroquine on protein turnover might be potentially useful in counteracting protein wasting complicating several catabolic diseases, whereas those on glucose metabolism can explain the sporadic occurrence of severe hypoglycemic episodes in malaria patients chronically treated with this drug.


1994 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 2814-2819 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Henriksen ◽  
K. A. Munoz ◽  
A. T. Aannestad ◽  
M. E. Tischler

The adaptive responses of myocardial protein metabolism to chronic increases in work load were evaluated in juvenile female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were studied under four conditions: normal weight bearing (N), voluntary wheel running (WR) for < or = 4 wk, head-down-tilt suspension for 7 days (HS), or wheel running (2 or 3 wk) followed by 7 days of suspension (WR-HS). WR activity plateaued after 2 wk at 16 km/day and was maintained through week 4. WR did not affect normal whole body growth. Protein metabolism was studied by measuring heart protein content and in vivo fractional rate of protein synthesis with the [3H]phenylalanine “flooding dose” method. Two weeks of WR increased (P < 0.05) absolute heart protein content (22%) and protein synthesis (21%) relative to age-matched N group values. These differences in protein content and synthesis were maintained for > or = 4 wk. Rats failed to gain significant body weight during suspension. Heart protein content increased (P < 0.05) by 12% to 26% as did protein synthesis (14% to 22%) in HS compared with N group. In WR-HS group, cardiac protein content and protein synthesis were maintained at significantly elevated levels. These findings indicate that 1) high-volume WR by young rats provides a convenient noninvasive method for producing rapid and substantial cardiac hypertrophy, which results, at least in part, from enhanced cardiac protein synthesis; and 2) head-down suspension of sedentary juvenile rats leads to increased cardiac protein synthesis, which helps to increase cardiac protein content despite a lack of whole body growth.


1977 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Nicholas ◽  
G. E. Lobley ◽  
C. I. Harris

1.To study the potential of the constant-infusion technique for measuring rates of protein synthesis in New Zealand White rabbits, animals were infused for up to 6 h with radioactively-labelled tyrosine.2.Labelled tyrosine from plasma and tissues was isolated from labelled metabolites by ion-exchange chromatography.3.Analysis of serial blood and muscle biopsy samples removed under anaesthesia showed that the specific radioactivity (SR) of the free tyrosine pools reached an approximately constant value within 2 h.4.Certain commercial preparations of L-[side-chain 2,3-3H]tyrosine were contaminated with 300 mg radioactive D-tyrosine/g. The D-isomer appeared to enter the muscle intracellular pool.5.In constant-infusion experiments L-[3H]tyrosine could replace the uniformly-14C-labelled L-isomer for the determination of rates of protein synthesis in muscle. L-[side-chain 2,3-3H]tyrosine may not be suitable for use as a precursor for measuring rates of liver protein synthesis.6.Evidence is presented that the precursor of liver protein synthesis may not be well defined by the SR for free tyrosine of the homogenate.7.The technique was used to measure the rates of protein synthesis in adult rabbits. The rates of protein synthesis in liver and muscle were measured and from measurements of tyrosine flux the mean rate of whole-body protein synthesis was calculated as 13.8 g/kg per d.


1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuo MURAMATSU ◽  
Toshiyasu KATO ◽  
Jun-ichi OKUMURA ◽  
Iwao TASAKI

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