Sequential changes in in vivo muscle and liver protein synthesis and plasma and tissue glutamine levels in sepsis in the rat

2001 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. O'LEARY ◽  
Colin N. FERGUSON ◽  
Michael J. RENNIE ◽  
Charles J. HINDS ◽  
John H. COAKLEY ◽  
...  

We have investigated sequential changes in skeletal muscle and hepatic protein synthesis following sepsis, and their relationship to changes in circulating and tissue glutamine concentrations. Male Wistar rats underwent caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or sham operation, with starvation, and were killed 24, 72 or 96 h later. A group of non-operated animals were killed at the time of surgery. Protein synthesis was determined using a flooding dose of l-[4-3H] phenylalanine, and glutamine concentrations were measured by an enzymic fluorimetric assay. Protein synthesis in gastrocnemius muscle fell in all groups. Gastrocnemius total protein content was reduced after CLP and at 72 and 96 h after sham operation. After CLP, protein synthesis was lower at 24 h, and total protein content was lower at 72 and 96 h, than in sham-operated animals. CLP was associated with increased liver protein synthesis at all time points, whereas there was no change after sham operation. Liver protein content did not change after CLP, but was lower at 72 and 96 h after sham operation than in non-operated animals. Plasma glutamine concentrations were reduced at 24 h after sham operation, and at 72 and 96 h after CLP. Muscle glutamine concentrations were reduced in all groups, with the decrease being greater following CLP than after sham operation. In the liver, glutamine concentrations were unchanged after CLP, but increased after sham operation. In rats with sepsis, decreases in muscle protein synthesis and content are associated with markedly reduced muscle glutamine concentrations. Plasma glutamine concentrations are initially maintained, but fall later. In liver, protein synthesis is increased, while glutamine concentrations are preserved. These results support a peripheral-to-splanchnic glutamine flux in sepsis.

1989 ◽  
Vol 256 (3) ◽  
pp. R659-R665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Fong ◽  
L. L. Moldawer ◽  
M. Marano ◽  
H. Wei ◽  
A. Barber ◽  
...  

Macrophage secretory products are suspected to participate in the severe lean tissue wasting related to chronic illness. The protein metabolic effects of chronic, 7-day cachectin/tumor necrosis factor (cachectin) or interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) administration in vivo were studied in male Wistar rats that were 1) freely fed, 2) pair fed, 3) total protein and calorie starved, 4) twice daily lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administered, 5) twice daily cachectin administered, and 6) twice daily IL-1 alpha administered. LPS, cachectin, or IL-1 alpha administration produced anorexia; weight loss in these groups was comparable to respective pair-fed animals. However, LPS, cachectin, or IL-1 alpha accelerated peripheral protein wasting while preserving liver protein content, unlike the pattern in the pair-fed or starved animals in which loss of liver proteins and relative preservation of skeletal muscle protein were observed. The decrease in skeletal muscle protein content in LPS- or cytokine-treated animals was associated with coordinate decreases in muscle mRNA levels for the myofibrillar proteins myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain, actin, and in the 18S and 28S subunits of ribosomal RNA. We conclude that chronic exposure to the cytokines, IL-1 alpha or cachectin, can simulate those body and muscle protein changes seen in experimental LPS administration or chronic disease and markedly differ from the pattern of protein redistribution due to caloric restriction.


1993 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Palmer ◽  
D. J. Flint ◽  
J. C. MacRae ◽  
F. E. Fairhurst ◽  
L. A. Bruce ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Rats were injected twice daily for up to 10 days with GH or with a polyclonal antiserum to rat GH, commencing at 21–22 days of age. Administration of bovine or human GH (1 mg/day) improved whole body growth rates by 22% and 29% respectively. Plantaris muscle mass was also increased, by 7 and 14% respectively. Anti-GH injected twice daily resulted in a 7% decrease in body weight at 4 days and a 10% reduction by 10 days. Similar decreases were observed in the total protein content of plantaris and soleus muscles. The decrease in the fractional rate of protein synthesis was proportionately greater than the decline in protein content in plantaris muscle whereas in the soleus no change in the rate of protein synthesis was observed, suggesting that the effect on this muscle was due to an increase in the rate of protein degradation. Serum total IGF-I was unchanged by treatment with either GH or anti-GH while the amount of hepatic IGF-I mRNA was also unaffected by anti-GH injection. These data are consistent with a direct effect of GH or an effect mediated by an autocrine/paracrine mechanism of action on muscle but do not support a role for serum total IGF-I as an endocrine mediator of GH action. Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 139, 395–401


1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1063
Author(s):  
LEA Symons ◽  
WO Jones

Incorporation of radioisotopically labelled L-leucine into skeletal muscle proteins was measured in vivo and in vitro, and into liver proteins in vivo in three groups of sheep: (1) infected by Trichostrongylus colubriformis, (2) uninfected, pair-fed with the infected animals, (3) uninfected, fed ad lib. Incorporation of [14C]L-leucine by an homogenate of wool follicles from infected and uninfected sheep was also measured. Incorporation of leucine by muscle, and hence muscle protein synthesis, was equally depressed in the anorexic infected sheep losing weight, and in pair-fed animals, whether measured in vivo or in vitro, or expressed in terms of either RNA or DNA. Incorporation into protein was elevated equally in vivo in the livers of the infected and pair-fed sheep when expressed in terms of content of tissue nitrogen, but not in terms of cither nucleic acid. Incorporation by the wool follicular homogenate was appreciably depressed by the infection and is consistent with the poor wool growth in nematode infections. These results show that the same depression of skeletal muscle and, possibly, elevation of liver protein synthesis occur in a ruminant as were reported earlier for laboratory monogastric animals with intestinal nematode infections. Pair-feeding uninfected animals in both this and the earlier experiments emphasized the importance of anorexia as a major cause of these effects on protein synthesis. The importance of these effects upon production is discussed briefly.


1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (5) ◽  
pp. 1071-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Gomi ◽  
T Okuda ◽  
S Tanaka

The development and degeneration of the flight muscles in adult crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus, were studied (1) by determination of the total protein content, (2) by SDS one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS­PAGE) of muscle protein and (3) by in vitro culturing of the muscle. The total protein content of the dorso-longitudinal muscle (DLM) and metathoracic dorso-ventral muscle (DVM) increased during the early days of adult life in both sexes. This high protein content was maintained for at least a further 10 days in some individuals, while in others it declined to a low level. Mesothoracic DVMs in males also showed an increase in protein content after adult emergence but did not undergo histolysis, whereas those in females showed no significant temporal change in protein content. Removal of hind wings or artificial de-alation was found to be useful in inducing degeneration of DLMs and metathoracic DVMs. This treatment also stimulated ovarian development in females. An analysis by SDS­PAGE provided no evidence for new protein synthesis prior to or during flight muscle degeneration. A high rate of [3H]- or [35S]methionine incorporation was observed in DLMs taken from newly emerged adults, but, in intact crickets, the rate declined rapidly during the first 3 days of adult life, a pattern consistent with that obtained from the measurement of total protein content. Compared with DLMs removed from intact crickets, DLMs taken from de-alated crickets showed reduced rates of protein synthesis during in vitro culturing. This, together with the onset of protein degradation, appears to cause the rapid decrease in total protein content of the muscle in de-alated crickets.


1987 ◽  
Vol 248 (2) ◽  
pp. 439-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
P J Garlick ◽  
I Grant ◽  
R T Glennie

1. Rates of protein synthesis in liver and muscle of 100 g male rats were measured in vivo at 1 h or 4 h after injection of 2.5 mg of corticosterone and compared with those from animals given carrier medium alone. 2. In post-absorptive rats, corticosterone for 1 h had no effect on either muscle or liver protein synthesis. After 4 h there was a decrease in both tissues, but this was only statistically significant in muscle. 3. In fed rats, rates of protein synthesis were higher than those in post-absorptive animals, but the effects of corticosterone injection were similar. 4. Re-feeding of post-absorptive rats led to an increase in muscle protein synthesis after 1 h and 4 h. At 1 h this increase was not inhibited when plasma corticosterone concentrations were maintained high by injection of the hormone immediately before feeding commenced, but at 4 h there was a small inhibition. 5. It is concluded that the action of corticosterone in depressing muscle protein synthesis is time-dependent and requires longer than 1 h to develop. The failure of the hormone to alter the response to re-feeding for 1 h in post-absorptive rats suggest that corticosteroids are not important mediators of the acute stimulation of muscle protein synthesis by food intake.


1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1063
Author(s):  
LEA Symons ◽  
WO Jones

Incorporation of radioisotopically labelled L-leucine into skeletal muscle proteins was measured in vivo and in vitro, and into liver proteins in vivo in three groups of sheep: (1) infected by Trichostrongylus colubriformis, (2) uninfected, pair-fed with the infected animals, (3) uninfected, fed ad lib. Incorporation of [14C]L-leucine by an homogenate of wool follicles from infected and uninfected sheep was also measured. Incorporation of leucine by muscle, and hence muscle protein synthesis, was equally depressed in the anorexic infected sheep losing weight, and in pair-fed animals, whether measured in vivo or in vitro, or expressed in terms of either RNA or DNA. Incorporation into protein was elevated equally in vivo in the livers of the infected and pair-fed sheep when expressed in terms of content of tissue nitrogen, but not in terms of cither nucleic acid. Incorporation by the wool follicular homogenate was appreciably depressed by the infection and is consistent with the poor wool growth in nematode infections. These results show that the same depression of skeletal muscle and, possibly, elevation of liver protein synthesis occur in a ruminant as were reported earlier for laboratory monogastric animals with intestinal nematode infections. Pair-feeding uninfected animals in both this and the earlier experiments emphasized the importance of anorexia as a major cause of these effects on protein synthesis. The importance of these effects upon production is discussed briefly.


1985 ◽  
Vol 228 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
V R Preedy ◽  
P J Garlick

Infusion of glucagon (0.5 mg/h per 100 g body wt.) into fed rats for 6 h inhibited protein synthesis in skeletal muscle, but not in heart. The order of sensitivity of three muscles was plantaris greater than gastrocnemius greater than soleus. Treatment with glucagon for periods of 1 h or less had no effect. Liver protein synthesis was inhibited by glucagon treatment for 10 min, but stimulated after 6 h. The effect of glucagon on muscle was not secondary to impaired food absorption or to depletion of amino acids by increased gluconeogenesis, since the inhibition of protein synthesis was observed in postabsorptive and amino acid-infused rats. The failure of glucagon to inhibit muscle protein synthesis after 1 h may have been caused by the increase in plasma insulin that occurred at this time, since an inhibition was detected in insulin-treated diabetic rats. The lowest infusion rate that gave a significant decrease in muscle protein synthesis was 6 micrograms/h per 100 g body wt., despite a small increase in plasma insulin. This gave plasma glucagon concentrations in the high pathophysiological range, suggesting that glucagon may be significant in the pathogenesis of muscle wasting in metabolic stresses such as diabetes and starvation.


1990 ◽  
Vol 272 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
B G Southorn ◽  
R M Palmer ◽  
P J Garlick

The effect of corticosterone treatment on the sensitivity of muscle protein synthesis to insulin infusion was assessed in post-absorptive young rats. To select the optimal time period for corticosterone treatment, protein synthesis was measured by injection of L-[2,6-3H]phenylalanine (1.5 mmol/kg body weight) 1, 4, 12 or 24 h after injection of corticosterone (5 mg/kg body wt.). Muscle protein synthesis was significantly decreased at 4 h and the effect was maximal by 12 h; liver protein synthesis was elevated at 12 h and 24 h. The dose-response of muscle protein synthesis to a 30 min infusion with 0-150 munits of insulin/h was then compared in rats pretreated with corticosterone (10 mg/100 g body wt.) or vehicle alone. When no insulin was infused, corticosterone inhibited protein synthesis in gastrocnemius muscle. High doses of insulin stimulated protein synthesis, but the inhibition by corticosterone was similar to that in the absence of insulin. At intermediate doses of insulin there was an increased requirement for insulin to elicit an equivalent response in muscle protein synthesis. Plantaris muscle responded in a manner similar to that of gastrocnemius, but neither soleus muscle nor liver responded significantly to insulin. These data suggest that corticosterone has two modes of action; one which is independent from and opposite to that of insulin, and a second which causes insulin-resistance through a decrease in sensitivity rather than a change in responsiveness.


1976 ◽  
Vol 230 (5) ◽  
pp. 1321-1325 ◽  
Author(s):  
TP Stein ◽  
JC Oram-Smith ◽  
MJ Leskiw ◽  
HW Wallace ◽  
LC Long ◽  
...  

The effect of a deficiency of calories and/or nitrogen on protein metabolism in the rat was investigated. During the 5 days of the study, the rats received all nutrients except water via intravenous hyperalimentation. Four diets were used: I) 1.25 g amino acids, 12.5 g glucose/day; II) 1.25 g amino acids/day; III) 1.25 g glucose/day; and IV) 12.5 glucose/day. The rate of protein synthesis in heart, lung, muscle, kidney, and liver was estimated by a modification of the technique of Garlick et al. (The diurnal response of muscles and liver protein synthesis in vivo in meal-fed rats. Biochem. J. 136: 935-945, 1973) except that [15N]glycine was used as the tracer. Heart and lung protein synthesis was depressed by both caloric and nitrogen restriction. Muscle protein synthesis was only significantly affected by omission of calories from the diet. Kidney nitrogen content increased with the amino acid diets and decreased with the nitrogen-deficient diets. The major response of the liver to a dietary deficiency was to lose nitrogen via an increase in the rate of liver protein catabolism.


1973 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
pp. 935-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Garlick ◽  
D. J. Millward ◽  
W. P. T. James

1. The rate of protein synthesis in rat tissues was measured by constant intravenous infusion of [14C]tyrosine. A modification has been developed for the method of calculating the rate of protein synthesis in individual tissues from the specific radioactivity of the free and protein-bound amino acid in tissue at the end of the infusion. This technique gives greater accuracy and allows a greater choice of labelled amino acids. The specific radioactivity of free tyrosine in plasma was used to calculate the plasma tyrosine flux, an index of the rate of protein synthesis in the whole body. 2. Young male Wistar rats were allowed access to food for only 4h in every 24h. The tyrosine flux and the rate of protein synthesis in liver and muscle at different periods of time after a single feed were estimated. 3. The tyrosine flux did not alter after feeding nor even after starvation for 48h. 4. The average fractional rate of protein synthesis in muscle was 7.2%/day, i.e. the proportion of the protein mass which is replaced each day. The rate rose after eating and declined during starvation for 48h. In addition the rate of muscle protein synthesis correlated with the growth rate of the rat. 5. In liver the average fractional rate of protein synthesis was 50%/day. There was no change in the rate after eating nor after starvation for 48h. In contrast with muscle this suggests that the changes in protein mass were accompanied by changes in the rate of protein breakdown rather than synthesis.


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