Leucine and protein metabolism in the lactating dairy cow mammary gland: responses to supplemental dietary crude protein intake

1996 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Bequette ◽  
John A. Metcalf ◽  
Diane Wray-Cahen ◽  
F. R. Colette Backwell ◽  
John D. Sutton ◽  
...  

SummaryMammary gland protein metabolism, determined by an arteriovenous difference technique, was monitored in four Holstein-Friesian dairy cows in response to supplemental dietary protein (provided as rumen-protected soyabean meal) during late lactation (weeks 24–30). Each cow was offered two isoenergetic diets composed of grass silage (170 g crude protein/kg dry matter) plus either a low (108 g/kg) or medium (151 g/kg) crude protein concentrate in a single crossover design involving two 21 d periods. On day 21, arteriovenous measurements across the mammary gland were made during a 13 h continuous i.v. infusion of [1-13C]leucine and with frequent (2 hourly) milk sampling during the final 6 h. Although total milk yield was slightly increased (+1 kg/d) by protein supplementation, milk protein yield was not significantly affected. Whole body protein flux (protein synthesis plus oxidation) was not significantly affected by supplementation. Total mammary gland protein synthesis (milk plus non-milk protein) was also not affected by supplementation but on both diets gland synthesis was always greater (by 20–59%) than milk protein output. The fractional oxidation rate of leucine by the mammary gland was significantly increased by protein supplementation (0·047 v. 0·136). Although the enrichment of leucine in secreted milk protein continued to increase, the final value (at 13 h) was 0·94 of the arterial plasma free leucine plateau value (not significantly different), suggesting almost exclusive use of plasma free leucine for milk protein synthesis. Based on current feeding schemes for dairy cattle, a fixed proportion (0·65–0·75) of the additional protein intake (+490 g/d) should have been partitioned into milk protein. Instead, leucine oxidation by the mammary gland was increased. Whether oxidation of other amino acids was also enhanced is unknown but if amino acid oxidation and the ‘additional’ non-milk protein synthesis occurring in the gland are not crucial to milk synthesis, then by reducing such activities improvements in the efficiency of converting absorbed amino acid into milk protein can be achieved.

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.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 885-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Papet ◽  
Piotr Ostaszewski ◽  
Francoise Glomot ◽  
Christiane Obled ◽  
Magali Faure ◽  
...  

AbstractThe effect of a high dose of 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyrate (HMB, a leucine catabolite) on protein metabolism was investigated in growing male lambs fed on hay and concentrate. Concentrate was supplemented with either Ca(HMB)2 (4g/kg) or Ca(C03)2 in experimental (HMB) and control groups respectively. Both groups consisted of six 2-month old lambs. Three complementary methods to study protein metabolism were carried out consecutively 2·5 months after beginning the dietary treatment: whole body phenylalanine fluxes, postprandial plasma free amino acid time course and fractional rates of protein synthesis in skeletal muscles. Feeding a high dose of HMB led to a significant increase in some plasma free amino acids compared with controls. Total, oxidative and non-oxidative phenylalanine fluxes were not modified by dietary HMB supplementation. Similarly, an acute infusion of HMB, in the control group, did not change these fluxes. In skeletal muscles, fractional rates of protein synthesis were not affected by long-term dietary supplementation with HMB. Taken together our results showed that administration of a high dose of HMB to lambs was able to modify plasma free amino acid pattern without any effect on whole-body protein turnover and skeletal muscle protein synthesis


2014 ◽  
Vol 202 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.L. Tanner ◽  
A.L. Wagner ◽  
R.N. Digianantonio ◽  
P.A. Harris ◽  
J.T. Sylvester ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Jorn Trommelen ◽  
Luc J. C. van Loon

All tissues are in a constant state of turnover, with a tightly controlled regulation of protein synthesis and breakdown rates. Due to the relative ease of sampling skeletal muscle tissue, basal muscle protein synthesis rates and the protein synthetic responses to various anabolic stimuli have been well defined in human subjects. In contrast, only limited data are available on tissue protein synthesis rates in other organs. Several organs such as the brain, liver and pancreas, show substantially higher (basal) protein synthesis rates when compared to skeletal muscle tissue. Such data suggest that these tissues may also possess a high level of plasticity. It remains to be determined whether protein synthesis rates in these tissues can be modulated by external stimuli. Whole-body protein synthesis rates are highly responsive to protein intake. As the contribution of muscle protein synthesis rates to whole-body protein synthesis rates is relatively small considering the large amount of muscle mass, this suggests that other organ tissues may also be responsive to (protein) feeding. Whole-body protein synthesis rates in the fasted or fed state can be quantified by measuring plasma amino acid kinetics, although this requires the production of intrinsically labelled protein. Protein intake requirements to maximise whole-body protein synthesis may also be determined by the indicator amino acid oxidation technique, but the technique does not allow the assessment of actual protein synthesis and breakdown rates. Both approaches have several other methodological and inferential limitations that will be discussed in detail in this paper.


2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (5) ◽  
pp. E978-E988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Whittaker ◽  
Choy H. Lee ◽  
Roy Taylor

The effects of pregnancy and type 1 diabetes [insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)] on protein metabolism are still uncertain. Therefore, six normal and five IDDM women were studied during and after pregnancy, using [13C]leucine and [2H5]phenylalanine with a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp and amino acid infusion. Fasting total plasma amino acids were lower in pregnancy in normal but not IDDM women (2,631 ± 427 vs. 2,057 ± 471 and 2,523 ± 430 vs. 2,500 ± 440 μmol/l, respectively). Whole body protein breakdown (leucine) increased in pregnancy [change in normal (ΔN) and IDDM women (ΔD) 0.59 ± 0.40 and 0.48 ± 0.26 g · kg−1 · day−1, both P < 0.001], whereas reductions in protein breakdown due to insulin/amino acids (ΔN −0.57 ± 0.19, ΔD −0.58 ± 0.20 g · kg−1 · day−1, both P < 0.001) were unaffected by pregnancy. Protein breakdown in IDDM women was not higher than normal, and neither pregnancy nor type 1 diabetes altered the insulin sensitivity of amino acid turnover. Nonoxidized leucine disposal (protein synthesis) increased in pregnancy (ΔN 0.67 ± 0.45, ΔD 0.64 ± 0.34 g · kg−1 · day−1, both P < 0.001). Pregnancy reduced the response of phenylalanine hydroxylation to insulin/amino acids in both groups (ΔN −1.14 ± 0.74, ΔD −1.12 ± 0.77 g · kg−1 · day−1, both P < 0.05). These alterations may enable amino acid conservation for protein synthesis and accretion in late pregnancy. Well-controlled type 1 diabetes caused no abnormalities in the regulation of basal or stimulated protein metabolism.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerlof A.R. Reckman ◽  
Gerjan J. Navis ◽  
Wim P. Krijnen ◽  
Cees P. Van der Schans ◽  
Roel J. Vonk ◽  
...  

Protein oxidation may play a role in the balance between anabolism and catabolism. We assessed the effect of a protein restricted diet on protein oxidation as a possible reflection of whole body protein metabolism. Sixteen healthy males (23 ± 3 years) were instructed to use a 4-day isocaloric protein restricted diet (0.25 g protein/kg body weight/day). Their habitual dietary intake was assessed by a 4-day food diary. After an overnight fast, a 30 g 13C-milk protein test drink was administered, followed by 330 min breath sample collection. Protein oxidation was measured by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry. To assess actual change in protein intake from 24-h urea excretion, 24-h urine was collected. During the 4-day protein restricted diet, the urinary urea:creatinine ratio decreased by 56 ± 9%, which is comparable to a protein intake of ~0.65 g protein/kg body weight/day. After the protein restricted diet, 30.5 ± 7.3% of the 30 g 13C-milk protein was oxidized over 330 min, compared to 31.5 ± 6.4% (NS) after the subject’s habitual diet (1.3 ± 0.3 g protein/kg body weight/day). A large range in the effect of the diet on protein oxidation (−43.2% vs. +44.0%) was observed. The residual standard deviation of the measurements was very small (0.601 ± 0.167). This suggests that in healthy males, protein oxidation is unaffected after a protein restricted diet. It is uncertain how important the role of fluctuations in short-term protein oxidation is within whole body protein metabolism.


1994 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Pacy ◽  
Gill M. Price ◽  
David Halliday ◽  
Marcello R. Quevedo ◽  
D. Joe Millward

1. The diurnal changes in whole body protein turnover associated with the increasing fasting body nitrogen (N) losses and feeding gains with increasing protein intake were investigated in normal adults. [13C]Leucine, [2H5]phenylalanine and [2H2]tyrosine kinetics, were measured during an 8h primed, continuous infusion during the fasting and feeding phase together with fed-state N turnover assessed with [15N]glycine after 12 days of adaptation to diets containing 0.36 (LP), 0.77 (MP), 1.59 (GP) and 2.07 (HP) g of protein day−1 kg−1. Measurements were also made of fasting and fed resting metabolic rate and plasma hormone levels. 2. Resting metabolic rate in the fasted and fed state was not influenced by dietary protein intake, but was increased by feeding (11-13%, P <0.01) with no influence of dietary protein concentration. Fasting plasma insulin levels were not influenced by protein intake and were increased by feeding independent of protein intake. Fasted but not fed values of insulinlike growth factor-1 increased with protein intake, although no feeding response was observed. Thyroid hormones (free and total tri-iodothyronine) did not change in any state. 3. For leucine with increasing protein intake the increasing fasting losses reflected increasing rates of protein degradation, although the changes were small and only significant between GP and MP intakes. The increasing leucine gain on feeding was associated with increasing rates of protein synthesis and falling rates of protein degradation, reflecting a progressive inhibition of degradation with feeding, and a change from inhibition of synthesis (LP diet) to stimulation (GP and HP diets). Mean daily rates of synthesis and degradation did not change with protein intake. 4. Phenylalanine and tyrosine kinetics were calculated from adjusted values based on leucine kinetics and published data of the hepatic/plasma enrichment ratio. With the increased protein intake, the increasing fasting losses of phenylalanine (GP > MP) were mediated by increasing rates of degradation (paired t-tests). The increasing phenylalanine gain (GP > MP > LP) was due to increasing fed-state rates of synthesis and falling rates of degradation, reflecting a progressive inhibition of degradation, a stimulation of hydroxylation and a variable response of synthesis ranging from inhibition at the lowest intake to stimulation at higher intakes. For tyrosine a similar progressive inhibition of degradation with intake was shown. Mean daily rates of synthesis and degradation (phenylalanine) and degradation (tyrosine) did not change with protein intake. 5. Estimation of protein turnover from 15N excretion in urea and ammonia during 9 h after 1 h intravenous infusion of [15N]glycine in the fed state on the LP, MP and GP diets indicated that neither synthesis nor degradation were influenced by dietary protein level. Synthesis estimated from 15N kinetics was significantly correlated with that determined from leucine kinetics (r = 0.78, n = 14, P <0.01) and from phenylalanine kinetics (r = 0.53, n = 14, P <0.05), and degradation estimated from 15N kinetics was significantly correlated with that determined from leucine kinetics (r = 0.60, n = 14, P <0.05). Thus the [15N]glycine, [13C]leucine and [2H5]phenylalanine methods gave broadly comparable results. 6. We conclude that the feeding response of protein synthesis, degradation and amino acid oxidation reflects the combined impact of insulin and tissue amino acid levels with insulin inhibiting degradation and with amino acids both stimulating synthesis and oxidation and also further inhibiting degradation. Although the dietary protein level influences the extent of these feeding responses, it does not influence the mean daily rate of protein turnover. The rate of whole body protein turnover per se is unlikely to provide an indicator of protein nutritional status.


1992 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia M. Harris ◽  
Pat A. Skene ◽  
Vivien Buchan ◽  
E. Milne ◽  
A. G. Calder ◽  
...  

Whole-body protein synthesis, estimated by the irreversible loss rate procedure, and hind-leg protein metabolism determined by arterio-venous techniques were monitored in response to three nutritional conditions (approximately 0.6, 12 and 1.8 x energy maintenance (M)) in ten wether lambs (33 kg average live weight). In all lambs and treatments measurements were based on radiolabelled phenylalanine, but the terminal procedures (five at 0.6 x M and five at 1.8 x M) also included infusion of [1-13C]leucine; this permitted comparison of amino acids catabolized (leucine) and non-metabolized (phenylalanine) by the hind-limb tissues. Whole-body protein synthesis increased with intake and the relationship with energy expenditure was slightly lower than that reported previously for pigs and cattle. The efficiency of protein retention: protein synthesis did not exceed 0.25 between the two intake extremes. Effects of intake on amino acid oxidation were similar to those observed for cattle. Hind-limb protein synthesis also increased significantly (P < 0.001) in response to intake. Estimates of protein gain, from net uptake values, indicated that the tissues made a greater proportional contribution to total protein retention above M and to protein loss below M, emphasizing the role played by muscle tissue in providing mobile protein stores. The rates of protein synthesis calculated depended on the selection of precursor (blood) metabolite, but rates based on leucine always exceeded those based on phenylalanine when precursor from the same pool was selected. The incremental efficiency of protein retained: protein synthesis was apparently unity between 0.6 and 1.2 x M but 0.3 from 1.2 to 1.8 x M. Blood flow through the iliac artery was also proportional to intake. Leucine and oxo-acid catabolism to carbon dioxide increased with intake such that the metabolic fate of the amino acid was distributed in the proportion 2:1 between protein gain and oxidation. The rates of oxidation were only 1–3% the reported capacity of the rate-limiting dehydrogenase enzyme in muscle, but sufficient enzyme activity resides in the hind-limb adipose tissue to account for such catabolism


1999 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 987-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton J. M. Wagenmakers

Three tracer methods have been used to measure protein synthesis, protein breakdown and protein oxidation at whole-body level. The method using L-[1-13C]leucine is considered the method of reference. These methods have contributed greatly to the existing knowledge on whole-body protein turnover and its regulation by feeding, fasting, hormones and disease. How exercise and ingestion of mixed protein-containing meals affect whole-body protein metabolism is still open to debate, as there are discrepancies in results obtained with different tracers. The contribution of whole-body methods to the future gain of knowledge is expected to be limited due to the fact that most physiological disturbances have been investigated extensively, and due to the lack of information on the relative contribution of various tissues and proteins to whole-body changes. Tracer amino acid-incorporation methods are most suited to investigate these latter aspects of protein metabolism. These methods have shown that some tissues (liver and gut) have much higher turnover rates and deposit much more protein than others (muscle). Massive differences also exist between the fractional synthesis rates of individual proteins. The incorporation methods have been properly validated, although minor disagreements remain on the identity of the true precursor pool (the enrichment of which should be used in the calculations). Arterio-venous organ balance studies have shown that little protein is deposited in skeletal muscle following a protein-containing meal, while much more protein is deposited in liver and gut. The amount deposited in the feeding period in each of these tissues is released again during overnight fasting. The addition of tracers to organ balance studies allows the simultaneous estimation of protein synthesis and protein breakdown, and provides information on whether changes in net protein balance are caused primarily by a change in protein synthesis or in protein breakdown. In the case of a small arterio-venous difference in a tissue with a high blood flow, estimates of protein synthesis and breakdown become very uncertain, limiting the value of using the tracer. An additional measurement of the intracellular free amino acid pool enrichment allows a correction for amino acid recycling and quantification of the inward and outward transmembrane transport. However, in order to obtain reliable estimates of the intramuscular amino acid enrichment and, therefore, of muscle protein synthesis and breakdown in this so-called three-pool model, the muscle should be freeze-dried and the resulting fibres should be freed from connective tissue and small blood clots under a dissection microscope. Even when optimal precautions are taken, the calculations in these tracer balance methods use multiple variables and, therefore, are bound to lead to more variability in estimates of protein synthesis than the tracer amino acid incorporation methods. In the future, most studies should focus on the measurement of protein synthesis and breakdown in specific proteins in order to understand the mechanisms behind tissue adaptation in response to various stimuli (feeding, fasting, exercise, trauma, sepsis, disuse and disease). The tracer laboratories, therefore, should improve the methodology to allow the measurement of low tracer amino acid enrichments in small amounts of protein.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (3) ◽  
pp. E402-E413 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tesseraud ◽  
J. Grizard ◽  
E. Debras ◽  
I. Papet ◽  
Y. Bonnet ◽  
...  

Early lactating goats show insulin resistance with respect to extramammary glucose utilization. However, much less is known about the two major factors, insulin and plasma amino acid concentration, that regulate protein metabolism in lactating goats. To examine this question, the in vivo effect of acute insulin was studied in goats during early lactation (12-31 days postpartum), midlactation (98-143 days postpartum), and the dry period (approximately 1 yr postpartum). Insulin was infused (at 0.36 or 1.79 nmol/min) under euglycemic and eukaliemic clamps. In addition, appropriate amino acid infusion was used to blunt insulin-induced hypoaminoacidemia or to create hyperaminoacidemia and maintain this condition under insulin treatment. Leucine kinetics were assessed using a primed continuous infusion of L-[1-14C]-leucine, which started 2.5 h before insulin. In all animals the insulin treatments failed to stimulate the nonoxidative leucine disposal (an estimate of whole body protein synthesis) under both euaminoacidemic and hyperaminoacidemic conditions. Thus, in goat as well as humans, infusion of insulin fails to stimulate protein synthesis even when combined with a substantially increased provision of amino acids. In contrast, insulin treatments caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the endogenous leucine appearance (an estimate of whole body protein degradation). Under euaminoacidemia the initial slope from the plot of the endogenous leucine appearance as a function of plasma insulin (an insulin sensitivity index) was steeper during early lactation than when compared with the dry period. A similar trend occurred during midlactation but not to any significant degree. These differences were abolished under hyperaminoacidemia. It was concluded that the ability of physiological insulin to inhibit protein degradation was improved during lactation, demonstrating a clear-cut dissociation between the effects of insulin on protein and glucose metabolism. This adaptation no doubt may provide a mechanism to save body protein.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document