scholarly journals Methylarginine metabolites are associated with attenuated muscle protein synthesis in cancer-associated muscle wasting

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (51) ◽  
pp. 17441-17459
Author(s):  
Hawley E. Kunz ◽  
Jessica M. Dorschner ◽  
Taylor E. Berent ◽  
Thomas Meyer ◽  
Xuewei Wang ◽  
...  

Cancer cachexia is characterized by reductions in peripheral lean muscle mass. Prior studies have primarily focused on increased protein breakdown as the driver of cancer-associated muscle wasting. Therapeutic interventions targeting catabolic pathways have, however, largely failed to preserve muscle mass in cachexia, suggesting that other mechanisms might be involved. In pursuit of novel pathways, we used untargeted metabolomics to search for metabolite signatures that may be linked with muscle atrophy. We injected 7-week–old C57/BL6 mice with LLC1 tumor cells or vehicle. After 21 days, tumor-bearing mice exhibited reduced body and muscle mass and impaired grip strength compared with controls, which was accompanied by lower synthesis rates of mixed muscle protein and the myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic muscle fractions. Reductions in protein synthesis were accompanied by mitochondrial enlargement and reduced coupling efficiency in tumor-bearing mice. To generate mechanistic insights into impaired protein synthesis, we performed untargeted metabolomic analyses of plasma and muscle and found increased concentrations of two methylarginines, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and NG-monomethyl-l-arginine, in tumor-bearing mice compared with control mice. Compared with healthy controls, human cancer patients were also found to have higher levels of ADMA in the skeletal muscle. Treatment of C2C12 myotubes with ADMA impaired protein synthesis and reduced mitochondrial protein quality. These results suggest that increased levels of ADMA and mitochondrial changes may contribute to impaired muscle protein synthesis in cancer cachexia and could point to novel therapeutic targets by which to mitigate cancer cachexia.

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (1) ◽  
pp. R133-R139 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Samuels ◽  
A. L. Knowles ◽  
T. Tilignac ◽  
E. Debiton ◽  
J. C. Madelmont ◽  
...  

The influence of cancer cachexia and chemotherapy and subsequent recovery of skeletal muscle protein mass and turnover was investigated in mice. Cancer cachexia was induced using colon 26 adenocarcinoma, which is characteristic of the human condition, and can be cured with 100% efficacy using an experimental nitrosourea, cystemustine (C6H12CIN3O4S). Reduced food intake was not a factor in these studies. Three days after cachexia began, healthy and tumor-bearing mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of cystemustine (20 mg/kg). Skeletal muscle mass in tumor-bearing mice was 41% lower ( P < 0.05) than in healthy mice 2 wk after cachexia began. Skeletal muscle wasting was mediated initially by decreased protein synthesis (−38%; P < 0.05) and increased degradation (+131%; P < 0.05); later wasting resulted solely from decreased synthesis (∼−54 to −69%; P < 0.05). Acute cytotoxicity of chemotherapy did not appear to have an important effect on skeletal muscle protein metabolism in either healthy or tumor-bearing mice. Recovery began 2 days after treatment; skeletal muscle mass was only 11% lower than in healthy mice 11 days after chemotherapy. Recovery of skeletal muscle mass was affected initially by decreased protein degradation (−80%; P < 0.05) and later by increased protein synthesis (+46 to +73%; P < 0.05) in cured compared with healthy mice. This study showed that skeletal muscle wasted from cancer cachexia and after chemotherapeutic treatment is able to generate a strong anabolic response by making powerful changes to protein synthesis and degradation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 817-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan P. Little ◽  
Stuart M. Phillips

Loss of muscle mass is an unfavourable consequence of aging and many chronic diseases. The debilitating effects of muscle loss include declines in physical function and quality of life and increases in morbidity and mortality. Loss of muscle mass is the result of a decrease in muscle protein synthesis, an increase in muscle protein degradation, or a combination of both. Much research on muscle wasting has tended to focus on preventing muscle protein breakdown, and less attention has been paid to providing adequate stimulation to increase muscle protein synthesis. In this review, we present evidence to suggest that interventions aimed at increasing muscle protein synthesis represent the most effective countermeasure for preventing, delaying, or reversing the loss of skeletal muscle mass experienced in various muscle wasting conditions. Based on results from acute and chronic studies in humans in a wide variety of wasting conditions, we propose that resistance exercise training combined with appropriately timed protein (likely leucine-rich) ingestion represents a highly effective means to promote muscle hypertrophy, and may represent a highly effective treatment strategy to counteract the muscle wasting tassociated with aging and chronic disease.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Brittany Franch ◽  

Cancer cachexia is defined as the unintentional loss of skeletal muscle mass with or without fat loss that cannot be reversed by conventional nutritional support. Cachexia occurs in ~20% of cancer patients. More specifically, 50% of lung cancer patients, the most common cancer worldwide, develop cachexia. Cachexia occurs most often in lung and gastrointestinal cancers, whereas breast and prostate have the lowest rate of cachexia. Cancer-induced cachexia disrupts skeletal muscle protein turnover (decreasing protein synthesis and increasing protein degradation). Skeletal muscle’s capacity for protein synthesis is highly sensitive to local and systemic stimuli that are controlled by mTORC1 and AMPK signaling. During cachexia, altered protein turnover is thought to occur through suppressed anabolic signaling via mTORC1, coinciding with the chronic activation of AMPK. While progress has been made in understanding some of the mechanisms underlying the suppressed anabolic signaling in cachectic muscle, gaps still remain in our understanding of muscle’s ability to respond to anabolic stimulus prior to cachexia development. The purpose of this study was to determine if cachexia progression disrupts the feeding regulation of AMPK signaling and if gp130 signaling and muscle contraction could regulate this process. Specific aim 1 examined the feeding regulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice. Feeding increased muscle protein synthesis, while lowering AMPK signaling in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice. Importantly, pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice have overall suppressed muscle protein synthesis independent of the fast or fed condition. Muscle specific AMPK loss was sufficient to improve the fasting suppression of muscle mTORC1 and protein synthesis in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice. Specific aim 2 examined if muscle gp130 signaling regulates the feeding regulation of AMPK during cancer cachexia progression. Muscle gp130 loss lowered the fasting induction of AMPK in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice without improving protein synthesis. Muscle gp130 loss did not alter the feeding regulation of muscle Akt/mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis. Specific Aim 3 examined if an acute bout of muscle contractions could improve the muscle protein synthesis response to feeding during the progression of cachexia. Pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice exhibit suppressed protein synthesis in response low frequency electrical stimulation, and the inability to synergistically induce protein synthesis in response to feeding and contraction. In summary, pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice have lowered Akt/mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis. Feeding can induce Akt/mTORC1 and protein synthesis and AMPK regulates the fasting suppression of protein synthesis in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice. While gp130 loss reduces AMPK it is not sufficient to improve protein synthesis in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice. The added protein synthesis response to feeding and contraction is blunted in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice. These findings provide novel insight into the regulation of Akt/mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis in response to feeding. Additionally, these studies highlight gp130’s regulation of AMPK prior to cachexia development, and the blunted anabolic muscle response to feeding and contraction in pre-cachectic tumor bearing mice. By understanding these intracellular signaling processes and perturbations prior to cachexia development, we will be able to elucidate potential therapeutic targets and treatment options to manipulate and prevent cancer cachexia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 109-109
Author(s):  
Kristine Urschel

Abstract Protein has been recognized as an essential nutrient for animals for well over 100 years. Protein plays many important structural and metabolic roles, and some of its component amino acids have additional functions, including as regulatory molecules, as energy substrates and in the synthesis of other non-protein molecules. Skeletal muscle makes up approximately 50% of body weight in horses, with protein being the major non-water component. As an athletic species, the development and maintenance of muscle mass is of the utmost importance in horses. Because muscle mass is largely determined by the balance of rates of muscle protein synthesis and breakdown, understanding how these pathways are regulated and influenced by dietary protein and amino acid provision is essential. Historically, much research regarding protein nutrition in horses has focused on the protein digestibility of different feed ingredients, and the adequacy of different protein sources in supporting the growth and maintenance of horses. This presentation will focus on some of the current areas of active research relating to protein nutrition in horses: the activation of the signaling pathways that regulate muscle protein synthesis, amino acid supplementation in athletic horses, protein metabolism in aged and horses and those with insulin dysregulation, and amino acid and protein nutrition in predominantly forage-fed horses. There are many exciting opportunities for future research in the area of protein and amino acid nutrition in horses across the lifespan.


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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 315 (1) ◽  
pp. C91-C103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin P. Hardee ◽  
Dennis K. Fix ◽  
Xuewen Wang ◽  
Edie C. Goldsmith ◽  
Ho-Jin Koh ◽  
...  

Systemic cytokines and contractile activity are established regulators of muscle protein turnover. Paradoxically, the IL-6 cytokine family, which shares the ubiquitously expressed membrane gp130 receptor, has been implicated in skeletal muscle’s response to both contractions and cancer-induced wasting. Although we have reported that tumor-derived cachectic factors could suppress stretch-induced protein synthesis in cultured myotubes, the ability of systemic cytokines to disrupt in vivo eccentric contraction-induced protein synthesis has not been established. Therefore, we examined whether systemic IL-6 regulates basal and eccentric contraction-induced protein synthesis through muscle gp130 signaling. Systemic IL-6 overexpression was performed for 2 wk, and we then examined basal and eccentric contraction-induced protein synthesis and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling in tibialis anterior muscle of male wild-type, muscle-specific gp130 receptor knockout, and tumor-bearing ApcMin/+ mice. Systemic IL-6 overexpression suppressed basal protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling independently of IL-6 level, which was rescued by muscle gp130 loss. Interestingly, only high systemic IL-6 levels suppressed eccentric contraction-induced protein synthesis. Systemic IL-6 overexpression in precachectic tumor-bearing ApcMin/+ mice accelerated cachexia development, which coincided with suppressed basal and eccentric contraction-induced muscle protein synthesis. The suppression of eccentric contraction-induced protein synthesis by IL-6 occurred independently of mTORC1 activation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that basal protein synthesis suppression was more sensitive to circulating IL-6 compared with the induction of protein synthesis by eccentric contraction. However, systemic IL-6 can interact with the cancer environment to suppress eccentric contraction-induced protein synthesis independently of mTORC1 activation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler A Churchward-Venne ◽  
Philippe J M Pinckaers ◽  
Joey S J Smeets ◽  
Milan W Betz ◽  
Joan M Senden ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background Protein ingestion increases skeletal muscle protein synthesis rates during recovery from endurance exercise. Objectives We aimed to determine the effect of graded doses of dietary protein co-ingested with carbohydrate on whole-body protein metabolism, and skeletal muscle myofibrillar (MyoPS) and mitochondrial (MitoPS) protein synthesis rates during recovery from endurance exercise. Methods In a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group design, 48 healthy, young, endurance-trained men (mean ± SEM age: 27 ± 1 y) received a primed continuous infusion of l-[ring-2H5]-phenylalanine, l-[ring-3,5-2H2]-tyrosine, and l-[1-13C]-leucine and ingested 45 g carbohydrate with either 0 (0 g PRO), 15 (15 g PRO), 30 (30 g PRO), or 45 (45 g PRO) g intrinsically l-[1-13C]-phenylalanine and l-[1-13C]-leucine labeled milk protein after endurance exercise. Blood and muscle biopsy samples were collected over 360 min of postexercise recovery to assess whole-body protein metabolism and both MyoPS and MitoPS rates. Results Protein intake resulted in ∼70%–74% of the ingested protein-derived phenylalanine appearing in the circulation. Whole-body net protein balance increased dose-dependently after ingestion of 0, 15, 30, or 45 g protein (mean ± SEM: −0.31± 0.16, 5.08 ± 0.21, 10.04 ± 0.30, and 13.49 ± 0.55 μmol phenylalanine · kg−1 · h−1, respectively; P &lt; 0.001). 30 g PRO stimulated a ∼46% increase in MyoPS rates (%/h) compared with 0 g PRO and was sufficient to maximize MyoPS rates after endurance exercise. MitoPS rates were not increased after protein ingestion; however, incorporation of dietary protein–derived l-[1-13C]-phenylalanine into de novo mitochondrial protein increased dose-dependently after ingestion of 15, 30, and 45 g protein at 360 min postexercise (0.018 ± 0.002, 0.034 ± 0.002, and 0.046 ± 0.003 mole percentage excess, respectively; P &lt; 0.001). Conclusions Protein ingested after endurance exercise is efficiently digested and absorbed into the circulation. Whole-body net protein balance and dietary protein–derived amino acid incorporation into mitochondrial protein respond to increasing protein intake in a dose-dependent manner. Ingestion of 30 g protein is sufficient to maximize MyoPS rates during recovery from a single bout of endurance exercise. This trial was registered at trialregister.nl as NTR5111.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (6) ◽  
pp. 2026-2039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Philip Atherton ◽  
Kenneth Smith ◽  
Michael J. Rennie

Skeletal muscle demonstrates extraordinary mutability in its responses to exercise of different modes, intensity, and duration, which must involve alterations of muscle protein turnover, both acutely and chronically. Here, we bring together information on the alterations in the rates of synthesis and degradation of human muscle protein by different types of exercise and the influences of nutrition, age, and sexual dimorphism. Where possible, we summarize the likely changes in activity of signaling proteins associated with control of protein turnover. Exercise of both the resistance and nonresistance types appears to depress muscle protein synthesis (MPS), whereas muscle protein breakdown (MPB) probably remains unchanged during exercise. However, both MPS and MPB are elevated after exercise in the fasted state, when net muscle protein balance remains negative. Positive net balance is achieved only when amino acid availability is increased, thereby raising MPS markedly. However, postexercise-increased amino acid availability is less important for inhibiting MPB than insulin, the secretion of which is stimulated most by glucose availability, without itself stimulating MPS. Exercise training appears to increase basal muscle protein turnover, with differential responses of the myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein fractions to acute exercise in the trained state. Aging reduces the responses of myofibrillar protein and anabolic signaling to resistance exercise. There appear to be few, if any, differences in the response of young women and young men to acute exercise, although there are indications that, in older women, the responses may be blunted more than in older men.


2020 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 1666-1676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin P. Hardee ◽  
Dennis K. Fix ◽  
Ho-Jin Koh ◽  
Xuewen Wang ◽  
Edie C. Goldsmith ◽  
...  

Cancer-induced muscle wasting is accompanied by disruptions to muscle oxidative metabolism and protein turnover regulation, whereas exercise is a potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis and mitochondrial homeostasis. In a preclinical model of cancer cachexia, we report that cachectic muscle retains anabolic and metabolic plasticity to repeated eccentric contraction bouts despite an overall systemic wasting environment. The attenuation of muscle atrophy is linked to improved oxidative capacity and protein synthesis during cancer cachexia progression.


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