RNA Content and Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscles of Young Rats: Effects of Protein Deficiency

1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Howarth

A protein-free diet was fed to weanling rats for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 7 days before sacrifice in order to determine the time course of RNA depletion from their gastrocnemius muscles. A 34% loss of total RNA occurred on the first 2 days and thereafter depletion occurred at approximately 8% per day. The time course of RNA repletion was determined by refeeding a stock diet to protein-starved rats. A significant increase in total RNA content occurred on the 2nd day and repletion of total RNA content was complete on the 4th day of refeeding the stock diet. Rates of muscle protein synthesis in vivo were estimated by 14C incorporation from L-leucine into muscle proteins, and correlations between RNA concentrations and rate of protein synthesis were evaluated by linear regression anlysis. There was no significant relationship between soluble RNA concentration and protein synthesis. The relationship between protein synthesis and microsomal RNA concentration was significant. The results support the conclusion that availability of ribosomal RNA is a major factor in the long-term regulation of muscle protein biosynthesis.

1976 ◽  
Vol 231 (2) ◽  
pp. 441-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
JB Li ◽  
AL Goldberg

The effects of food deprivation on protein turnover in rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) were investigated. Muscles were removed from fed or fasted growing rats, and protein synthesis and breakdown were measured during incubation in vitro. Rates of synthesis and degradation were higher in the dark soleus than in the pale EDL. One day after food removal protein synthesis and RNA content in the EDL decreased. On the 2nd day of fasting, rates of protein catabolism in this muscle increased. Little or no change in synthesis and degradation occurred in the soleus. Consequently, during fasting the soleus lost much less weight than the EDL and other rat muscles. In unsupplemented buffer or in medium containing amino acids, glucose, and insulin, the muscles of fasted rats showed a lower rate of protein synthesis expressed per milligram of tissue but not per microgram of RNA. Thus the decrease in muscle RNA on fasting was responsible for the reduced synthesis observed under controlled in vitro conditions. In vivo the reduction in muscle protein synthesis on fasting results both from a lower RNA content and lower rate of synthesis per microgram of RNA. Reduced supply of glucose, insulin, and amino acids may account for the lower rate of synthesis per microgram of RNA demonstrable in vivo.


1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 480-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Duncan MacDougall ◽  
Martin J. Gibala ◽  
Mark A. Tarnopolsky ◽  
Jay R. MacDonald ◽  
Stephen A. Interisano ◽  
...  

It has been shown that muscle protein synthetic rate (MPS) is elevated in humans by 50% at 4 hrs following a bout of heavy resistance training, and by 109% at 24 hrs following training. This study further examined the time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis by examining its rate at 36 hrs following a training session. Six healthy young men performed 12 sets of 6- to 12-RM elbow flexion exercises with one arm while the opposite arm served as a control. MPS was calculated from the in vivo rate of incorporation of L-[1,2−13C2] leucine into biceps brachii of both arms using the primed constant infusion technique over 11 hrs. At an average time of 36 hrs postexercise, MPS in the exercised arm had returned to within 14% of the control arm value, the difference being nonsignificant. It is concluded that following a bout of heavy resistance training, MPS increases rapidly, is more than double at 24 hrs, and thereafter declines rapidly so that at 36 hrs it has almost returned to baseline. Key words: L-[−13C] leucine, muscle hypertrophy, training frequency, mass spectrometry


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. Emery ◽  
N. J. Rothwell ◽  
M. J. Stock ◽  
P. D. Winter

Chronic treatment of rats with the β2-adrenergic agonists clenbuterol and fenoterol over 16–19 d raised energy intake, expenditure, and body weight gain but did not affect fat or energy deposition, and body protein gain was increased by 50 and 18%, respectively. Both drugs increased the protein content and mitochondrial GDP-binding capacity of brown adipose tissue. Clenbuterol did not affect plasma insulin, growth hormone, or triiodothyronine levels, although insulin levels were reduced by fenoterol. Both drugs caused hypertrophy of skeletal muscle (gastrocnemius), and muscle protein synthesis in vivo (fractional rate) was elevated by 34 and 26% in clenbuterol and fenoteroltreated rats, respectively.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (2) ◽  
pp. R334-R340 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Davis ◽  
M. L. Fiorotto ◽  
H. V. Nguyen ◽  
P. J. Reeds

To compare the sensitivity of muscle protein synthesis to food intake in neonatal and weaned rats, 5- and 16-day-old suckled rats and 28-day-old weaned rats were either fed, fasted for 8-10 h, or refed for 1-4 h after an 8-h fast. Protein synthesis was measured in vivo in soleus and plantaris muscles with a large dose of L-[4-3H]phenylalanine. In fed rats, fractional rates of protein synthesis (KS) decreased with age. Fasting decreased KS, and refeeding increased KS most in 5-day-old animals, less in 16-day-old rats, and least in 28-day-old rats. In 5-day-old rats, there were no differences in KS between soleus and plantaris muscles in the fed state and after fasting and refeeding; at 28 days, KS was higher in soleus than in plantaris in fed rats, and the soleus did not respond to fasting and refeeding. In rats at all three ages, the concentration of most plasma amino acids decreased during fasting; when 5-day-old rats were refed, plasma amino acid concentrations increased, but not to the levels in the fed state. Plasma insulin concentrations increased with age. Plasma insulin concentrations decreased more rapidly with fasting and increased more extensively with refeeding in 5-day-old rats than in older rats. These results suggest that muscle protein synthesis is more responsive to food intake in young suckled rats than in older suckled or weaned rats; this increased responsiveness is accompanied by greater changes in circulating insulin concentrations.


Physiologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-33
Author(s):  
Shelby C. Osburn ◽  
Christopher G. Vann ◽  
David D. Church ◽  
Arny A. Ferrando ◽  
Michael D. Roberts

Muscle protein synthesis and proteolysis are tightly coupled processes. Given that muscle growth is promoted by increases in net protein balance, it stands to reason that bolstering protein synthesis through amino acids while reducing or inhibiting proteolysis could be a synergistic strategy in enhancing anabolism. However, there is contradictory evidence suggesting that the proper functioning of proteolytic systems in muscle is required for homeostasis. To add clarity to this issue, we sought to determine if inhibiting different proteolytic systems in C2C12 myotubes in conjunction with acute and chronic leucine treatments affected markers of anabolism. In Experiment 1, myotubes underwent 1-h, 6-h, and 24-h treatments with serum and leucine-free DMEM containing the following compounds (n = 6 wells per treatment): (i) DMSO vehicle (CTL), (ii) 2 mM leucine + vehicle (Leu-only), (iii) 2 mM leucine + 40 μM MG132 (20S proteasome inhibitor) (Leu + MG132), (iv) 2 mM leucine + 50 μM calpeptin (calpain inhibitor) (Leu + CALP), and (v) 2 mM leucine + 1 μM 3-methyladenine (autophagy inhibitor) (Leu + 3MA). Protein synthesis levels significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the Leu-only and Leu + 3MA 6-h treatments compared to CTL, and levels were significantly lower in Leu + MG132 and Leu + CALP versus Leu-only and CTL. With 24-h treatments, total protein yield was significantly lower in Leu + MG132 cells versus other treatments. Additionally, the intracellular essential amino acid (EAA) pool was significantly greater in 24-h Leu + MG132 treatments versus other treatments. In a follow-up experiment, myotubes were treated for 48 h with CTL, Leu-only, and Leu + MG132 for morphological assessments. Results indicated Leu + MG132 yielded significantly smaller myotubes compared to CTL and Leu-only. Our data are limited in scope due to the utilization of select proteolysis inhibitors. However, this is the first evidence to suggest proteasome and calpain inhibition with MG132 and CALP, respectively, abrogate leucine-induced protein synthesis in myotubes. Additionally, longer-term Leu + MG132 treatments translated to an atrophy phenotype. Whether or not proteasome inhibition in vivo reduces leucine- or EAA-induced anabolism remains to be determined.


1989 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Garlick ◽  
Jan Wernerman ◽  
Margaret A. McNurlan ◽  
Pia Essen ◽  
Gerald E. Lobley ◽  
...  

1. The ‘flooding dose’ technique for measuring the rate of protein synthesis in tissues in vivo involves the injection of a large amount of unlabelled amino acid together with the tracer to minimize differences in isotopic enrichment of the free amino acid in plasma and tissue compartments. This approach has been investigated in human muscle by taking biopsies from postabsorptive male volunteers given [1-13C]leucine. 2. Intravenous injection of 4 g of unlabelled leucine resulted in a rapid rise in free leucine concentration of seven- to eleven-fold in plasma and five-fold in muscle. Values were still elevated by two-fold after 2 h. 3. Five minutes after injection of [1-13C]leucine (0.05 g/kg) the isotopic enrichment of plasma leucine was 82% that of the injected material, falling to 44% at 120 min. The enrichment of free leucine in sequential muscle biopsies was close to that in plasma and almost identical to that for plasma α-ketoisocaproate. 4. The rate of protein synthesis was determined from the increase in leucine enrichment in protein of muscle biopsies taken before and 90 min after injection of [1-13C]leucine (0.05 g/kg; 19 or 39 atom% excess) and the average plasma α-ketoisocaproate enrichment over this period (taken to represent muscle free leucine). The mean rate of muscle protein synthesis in 10 subjects was 1.95 (sem 0.12)%/day. Rates of protein synthesis calculated from plasma leucine as precursor enrichment were only 5% lower than those calculated from plasma α-ketoisocaproate. 5. It is concluded that a ‘flooding dose’ of 13C-labelled amino acid is a useful and convenient technique for determining the rate of protein synthesis in tissues of human volunteers and patients.


2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (10) ◽  
pp. E1198-E1204 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Gundermann ◽  
Dillon K. Walker ◽  
Paul T. Reidy ◽  
Michael S. Borack ◽  
Jared M. Dickinson ◽  
...  

Restriction of blood flow to a contracting muscle during low-intensity resistance exercise (BFR exercise) stimulates mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis in human muscle within 3 h postexercise. However, there is a lack of mechanistic data to provide a direct link between mTORC1 activation and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle following BFR exercise. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine whether mTORC1 signaling is necessary for stimulating muscle protein synthesis after BFR exercise. A secondary aim was to describe the 24-h time course response in muscle protein synthesis and breakdown following BFR exercise. Sixteen healthy young men were randomized to one of two groups. Both the control (CON) and rapamycin (RAP) groups completed BFR exercise; however, RAP was administered 16 mg of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin 1 h prior to BFR exercise. BFR exercise consisted of four sets of leg extension exercise at 20% of 1 RM. Muscle biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis before exercise and at 3, 6, and 24 h after BFR exercise. Mixed-muscle protein fractional synthetic rate increased by 42% at 3 h postexercise and 69% at 24 h postexercise in CON, whereas this increase was inhibited in the RAP group. Phosphorylation of mTOR (Ser2448) and S6K1 (Thr389) was also increased in CON but inhibited in RAP. Mixed-muscle protein breakdown was not significantly different across time or groups. We conclude that activation of mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis in human muscle following BFR exercise is inhibited in the presence of rapamycin.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1275-1286
Author(s):  
Milena Casagranda ◽  
Priscila Berti Zanella ◽  
Alexandra Ferreira Vieira ◽  
Rodrigo Cauduro Oliveira Macedo

Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the acute effect of milk proteins supplementation, compared to another nitrogen compound on muscle protein synthesis. Design/methodology/approach The search was conducted on MEDLINE® (via PUBMED®), Cochrane and Embase databases, using the terms “whey proteins,” “caseins,” “milk proteins,” “protein biosynthesis,” “human” and its related entry terms. The selected outcome was fractional synthetic rate (FSR) before (0) and 3 h after consumption of milk proteins, compared to supplementation with other protein sources or isolated amino acids. Findings The results were expressed as mean difference (MD) of absolute values between treatments with confidence interval (CI) of 95 per cent. Of the 1,913 identified studies, 4 were included, with a total of 74 participants. Milk proteins generated a greater FSR (MD 0.03 per cent/h, CI 95 per cent 0.02-0.04; p < 0.00001), compared to control group. Acute consumption of milk proteins promotes higher increase in FSR than other protein sources or isolated amino acids. Originality/value This paper is a systematic review of the effects of milk proteins supplementation, which is considered an important subject because of its large consumption among athletes and physical exercise practitioners.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (1) ◽  
pp. E1-E5 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Baillie ◽  
P. J. Garlick

One-year-old adult female rats were fasted for 12 or 36 h followed by a 30-min infusion of insulin. The responses of the fractional rate of protein synthesis (Ks) in the individual muscles (measured in vivo) to fasting were small and mostly nonsignificant. After 12 h of fasting, only the epitrochlearis muscle (ET) showed a significant decrease in Ks, and, even after 36 h of fasting, a significant decrease in Ks was seen in only ET, extensor digitorum longus, and tensor fasciae latae (TFL). After the 36-h fast, infusion of insulin restored the fed Ks in all muscles except TFL. The fiber-type composition of the individual muscles appeared to influence the muscles' responsiveness to the fasting, since the highly glycolytic TFL was the most sensitive (particularly after 36 h of fasting), whereas the highly oxidative adductor longus and soleus muscles were unaffected by either fasting or insulin. In a second experiment, refeeding of fasted adult rats also had little effect on Ks, consistent with the low sensitivity to fasting shown by the first experiment. The parallel results in the two experiments confirmed that the low responsiveness to fasting and insulin infusion in these adult rats was not a result of failure to absorb in “fed” animals or insufficient levels of insulin during insulin infusions. In contrast, a third experiment showed that muscle protein synthesis in the gastrocnemius muscle from young adult (5-mo-old) female rats was significantly reduced after only 12 h of fasting.


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