Comparison of Arterial-Venous Balance and Tracer Incorporation Methods for Measuring Muscle Fractional Synthesis and Fractional Breakdown Rates

Author(s):  
Joshua L Hudson ◽  
Matthew Cotter ◽  
David N Herndon ◽  
Robert R Wolfe ◽  
Elisabet Børsheim

Abstract Loss of muscle mass in response to injury or immobilization impairs functional capacity and metabolic health, thus hindering rehabilitation. Stable isotope techniques are powerful in determining skeletal muscle protein fluxes. Traditional tracer incorporation methods to measure muscle protein synthesis and breakdown are cumbersome and invasive to perform in vulnerable populations such as children. To circumvent these issues, a two-bolus stable isotope amino acid method has been developed; although, measured rates of protein synthesis and breakdown have not been validated simultaneously against an accepted technique such as the arterial-venous balance method. The purpose of the current analysis was to provide preliminary data from the simultaneous determination of the arteriovenous balance and two-bolus tracer incorporation methods on muscle fractional synthesis and breakdown rates in children with burns. Five were administered a primed-constant infusion of L-[ 15N]Threonine for 180 minutes (Prime: 8 µmol/kg; constant: 0.1 µmol·kg -1·min -1). At 120 and 150 minutes, bolus injections of L-[ring- 13C6]Phenylalanine and L-[ 15N]Phenylalanine (50 µmol/kg each) were administered, respectively. Blood and muscle tissue samples were collected to assess mixed muscle protein synthesis and breakdown rates. The preliminary results from this study indicate there is no difference in either fractional synthesis rate (mean ± SD; arteriovenous balance: 0.19 ± 0.17 %/h; tracer incorporation: 0.14 ± 0.08 %/h; P = 0.42) or fractional breakdown rate (arteriovenous balance: 0.29 ± 0.22 %/h; tracer incorporation: 0.23 ± 0.14 %/h; P = 0.84) between methods. These data support the validity of both methods in quantifying muscle amino acid kinetics; however, the results are limited and adequately powered research is still required.

2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. E666-E671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon I. Smith ◽  
Dennis T. Villareal ◽  
Bettina Mittendorfer

The goal of this study was to discover whether using different tracers affects the measured rate of muscle protein synthesis in human muscle. We therefore measured the mixed muscle protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) in the quadriceps of older adults during basal, postabsorptive conditions and mixed meal feeding (70 mg protein·kg fat-free mass−1·h−1 × 2.5 h) by simultaneous intravenous infusions of [5,5,5-2H3]leucine and either [ring-13C6]phenylalanine or [ring-2H5]phenylalanine and analysis of muscle tissue samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both the basal FSR and the FSR during feeding were ∼20% greater ( P < 0.001) when calculated from the leucine labeling in muscle tissue fluid and proteins (fasted: 0.063 ± 0.005%/h; fed: 0.080 ± 0.007%/h) than when calculated from the phenylalanine enrichment data (0.051 ± 0.004 and 0.066 ± 0.005%/h, respectively). The feeding-induced increase in the FSR (∼20%; P = 0.011) was not different with leucine and phenylalanine tracers ( P = 0.69). Furthermore, the difference between the leucine- and phenylalanine-derived FSRs was independent of the phenylalanine isotopomer used ( P = 0.92). We conclude that when using stable isotope-labeled tracers and the classic precursor product model to measure the rate of muscle protein synthesis, absolute rates of muscle protein FSR differ significantly depending on the tracer amino acid used; however, the anabolic response to feeding is independent of the tracer used. Thus different precursor amino acid tracers cannot be used interchangeably for the evaluation of muscle protein synthesis, and data from studies using different tracer amino acids can be compared qualitatively but not quantitatively.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (4) ◽  
pp. E658-E664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic S. C. Raj ◽  
Elizabeth A. Dominic ◽  
Robert Wolfe ◽  
Vallabh O. Shah ◽  
Arthur Bankhurst ◽  
...  

Serum albumin, fibrinogen levels, and lean body mass are important predictors of outcome in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We estimated the fractional synthesis rates of albumin (FSR-A), fibrinogen (FSR-F), and muscle protein (FSR-M) in nine ESRD patients and eight controls, using primed constant infusion of l-[ ring-13C6]phenylalanine. Cytokine profile and arteriovenous balance of amino acids were also measured. ESRD patients were studied before (Pre-HD) and during hemodialysis (HD). Plasma IL-6, IL-10, and C-reactive protein increased significantly during HD. Despite a decrease in the delivery of amino acids to the leg, the outflow of the amino acids increased during HD. The net balance of amino acids became more negative during HD, indicating release from the muscle. HD increased leg muscle protein synthesis (45%) and catabolism (108%) but decreased whole body proteolysis (15%). FSR-A during HD (9.7 ± 0.9%/day) was higher than pre-HD (6.5 ± 0.9%/day) and controls (5.8 ± 0.5%/day, P < 0.01). FSR-F increased during HD (19.7 ± 2.6%/day vs. 11.8 ± 0.6%/day, P < 0.01), but it was not significantly different from that of controls (14.4 ± 1.4%/day). FSR-M intradialysis (1.77 ± 0.19%/day) was higher than pre-HD (1.21 ± 0.25%/day) and controls (1.30 ± 0.32%/day, P < 0.001). Pre-HD FSR-A, FSR-F, and FSR-M values were comparable to those of controls. There was a significant and positive correlation between plasma IL-6 and the FSRs. Thus, in ESRD patients without metabolic acidosis, the fractional synthesis rates of albumin, fibrinogen, and muscle protein are not decreased pre-HD. However, HD increases the synthesis of albumin, fibrinogen, and muscle protein. The coordinated increase in the FSRs is facilitated by constant delivery of amino acids derived from the muscle catabolism and intradialytic increase in IL-6.


1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (5) ◽  
pp. E864-E871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arny A. Ferrando ◽  
Kevin D. Tipton ◽  
David Doyle ◽  
Stuart M. Phillips ◽  
Joaquin Cortiella ◽  
...  

Testosterone administration (T) increases lean body mass and muscle protein synthesis. We investigated the effects of short-term T on leg muscle protein kinetics and transport of selected amino acids by use of a model based on arteriovenous sampling and muscle biopsy. Fractional synthesis (FSR) and breakdown (FBR) rates of skeletal muscle protein were also directly calculated. Seven healthy men were studied before and 5 days after intramuscular injection of 200 mg of testosterone enanthate. Protein synthesis increased twofold after injection ( P < 0.05), whereas protein breakdown was unchanged. FSR and FBR calculations were in accordance, because FSR increased twofold ( P < 0.05) without a concomitant change in FBR. Net balance between synthesis and breakdown became more positive with both methodologies ( P< 0.05) and was not different from zero. T injection increased arteriovenous essential and nonessential nitrogen balance across the leg ( P < 0.05) in the fasted state, without increasing amino acid transport. Thus T administration leads to an increased net protein synthesis and reutilization of intracellular amino acids in skeletal muscle.


2000 ◽  
Vol 278 (2) ◽  
pp. E273-E279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda Sheffield-Moore ◽  
Robert R. Wolfe ◽  
Dennis C. Gore ◽  
Steven E. Wolf ◽  
Dennis M. Ferrer ◽  
...  

We investigated whether the normal anabolic effects of acute hyperaminoacidemia were maintained after 5 days of oxandrolone (Oxandrin, Ox)-induced anabolism. Five healthy men [22 ± 3 (SD) yr] were studied before and after 5 days of oral Ox (15 mg/day). In each study, a 5-h basal period was followed by a 3-h primed-continuous infusion of a commercial amino acid mixture (10% Travasol). Stable isotopic data from blood and muscle sampling were analyzed using a three-compartment model to calculate muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. Model-derived muscle protein synthesis increased after amino acid infusion in both the control [basal control (BC) vs. control + amino acids (C+AA); P < 0.001] and Ox study [basal Ox (BOx) vs. Ox + amino acids (Ox+AA); P < 0.01], whereas protein breakdown was unchanged. Fractional synthetic rates of muscle protein increased 94% (BC vs. C+AA; P = 0.01) and 53% (BOx vs. Ox+AA; P < 0.01), respectively. We conclude that the normal anabolic effects of acute hyperaminoacidemia are maintained in skeletal muscle undergoing oxandrolone-induced anabolism.


2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (11) ◽  
pp. E1330-E1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Holm ◽  
Søren Reitelseder ◽  
Kasper Dideriksen ◽  
Rie H. Nielsen ◽  
Jacob Bülow ◽  
...  

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rate is determined conventionally by obtaining two or more tissue biopsies during a primed, continuous infusion of a stable isotopically labeled amino acid. The purpose of the present study was to test whether tracer priming given as a flooding dose, thereby securing an instantaneous labeling of the tissue pools of free tracee amino acids, followed by a continuous infusion of the same tracer to maintain tracer isotopic steady state, could be used to determine the MPS rate over a prolonged period of time by obtaining only a single tissue biopsy. We showed that the tracer from the flood prime appeared immediately in the muscle free pool of amino acids and that this abundance could be kept constant by a subsequent continuous infusion of the tracer. When using phenylalanine as tracer, the flood-primed, continuous infusion protocol does not stimulate the MPS rate per se. In conclusion, the flood-primed, continuous infusion protocol using phenylalanine as tracer can validly be used to measure the protein synthesis rate in human in vivo experiments by obtaining only a single tissue biopsy after a prolonged infusion period.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (5) ◽  
pp. E909-E916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renan A. Orellana ◽  
Pamela M. J. O'Connor ◽  
Hanh V. Nguyen ◽  
Jill A. Bush ◽  
Agus Suryawan ◽  
...  

Protein synthesis in skeletal muscle is reduced by as much as 50% as early as 4 h after a septic challenge in adults. However, the effect of sepsis on muscle protein synthesis has not been determined in neonates, a highly anabolic population whose muscle protein synthesis rates are elevated and uniquely sensitive to insulin and amino acid stimulation. Neonatal piglets ( n = 10/group) were infused for 8 h with endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 0 and 10 μg · kg−1 · h−1]. Plasma amino acid and glucose concentrations were kept at the fed level by infusion of dextrose and a balanced amino acid mixture. Fractional protein synthesis rates were determined by use of a flooding dose of [3H]phenylalanine. LPS infusion produced a septic-like state, as indicated by an early and sustained elevation in body temperature, heart rate, and plasma tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1, cortisol, and lactate concentrations. Plasma levels of insulin increased, whereas glucose and amino acids decreased, suggesting the absence of insulin resistance. LPS significantly reduced protein synthesis in longissimus dorsi muscle by only 11% and in gastrocnemius by only 15%, but it had no significant effect in masseter and cardiac muscles. LPS increased protein synthesis in the liver (22%), spleen (28%), kidney (53%), jejunum (19%), diaphragm (21%), lung (50%), and skin (13%), but not in the stomach, pancreas, or brain. These findings suggest that, when substrate supply is maintained, skeletal muscle protein synthesis in neonates compared with adults is relatively resistant to the catabolic effects of sepsis.


2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (1) ◽  
pp. E278-E284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin E. Yarasheski ◽  
Samuel R. Smith ◽  
William G. Powderly

We reported (Yarasheski KE, Zachwieja JJ, Gischler J, Crowley J, Horgan MM, and Powderly WG. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 275: E577–E583, 1998) that AIDS muscle wasting was associated with an inappropriately low rate of muscle protein synthesis and an elevated glutamine rate of appearance (Ra Gln). We hypothesized that high plasma HIV RNA caused dysregulation of muscle amino acid metabolism. We determined whether a reduction in HIV RNA (≥1 log) increased muscle protein synthesis rate and reduced Ra Gln and muscle proteasome activity in 10 men and 1 woman (22–57 yr, 60–108 kg, 17–33 kg muscle) with advanced HIV (CD4 = 0–311 cells/μl; HIV RNA = 10–375 × 103 copies/ml). We utilized stable isotope tracer methodologies ([13C]Leu and [15N]Gln) to measure the fractional rate of mixed muscle protein synthesis and plasma Ra Gln in these subjects before and 4 mo after initiating their first or a salvage antiretroviral therapy regimen. After treatment, median CD4 increased (98 vs. 139 cells/μl, P = 0.009) and median HIV RNA was reduced (155,828 vs. 100 copies/ml, P = 0.003). Mixed muscle protein synthesis rate increased (0.062 ± 0.005 vs. 0.078 ± 0.006%/h, P = 0.01), Ra Gln decreased (387 ± 33 vs. 323 ± 15 μmol·kg fat-free mass−1·h−1, P = 0.04), and muscle proteasome chymotrypsin-like catalytic activity was reduced 14% ( P = 0.03). Muscle mass was only modestly increased (1 kg, P = not significant). We estimated that, for each 10,000 copies/ml reduction in HIV RNA, ∼3 g of additional muscle protein are synthesized per day. These findings suggest that reducing HIV RNA increases muscle protein synthesis and reduces muscle proteolysis, but muscle protein synthesis relative to whole body protein synthesis rate is not restored to normal, so muscle mass is not substantially increased.


1979 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 974-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. W. Booth ◽  
M. J. Seider

The atrophy of skeletal muscle accruing from disuse, or limb immobilization, is caused by a decreased rate of protein synthesis and an increased rate of protein degradation. Currently, little information is available regarding the initial time of the decline in the rate of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. The purpose of the present study was to determine, as precisely as possible, the time at which the protein synthesis rate first begins to decline in skeletal muscle, utilizing immobilized limbs of rats for a model. A constant-infusion technique employing [14C]tyrosine was used to estimate protein synthesis rates. During the first 6 h of immobilization, a significant decline of 37% in the fractional rate of protein synthesis from the control level of 5.7%/day was observed. These results suggest that very early changes are occurring in molecular events that regulate protein synthesis in disused or immobilized skeletal muscle.


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