Impact of Adjunct Testosterone on Cancer-Related Fatigue: An Ancillary Analysis from a Controlled Randomized Trial.

Many cancer patients undergoing treatment experience cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Inflammatory markers are correlated with CRF but are not routinely targeted for treatment. We previously demonstrated in an NIH-funded placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial (NCT00878995, closed to follow-up) that seven weekly injections of 100 mg adjunct testosterone preserved lean body mass in cancer patients undergoing standard-of-care treatment in a hospital setting. Because testosterone therapy can reduce circulating proinflammatory cytokines, we conducted an ancillary analysis to determine if this testosterone treatment reduced inflammatory burden and improved CRF symptoms and health-related quality of life. Randomization was computer-generated and managed by the pharmacy, which dispensed testosterone and placebo in opaque syringes to the administering study personnel. A total of 24 patients were randomized (14 placebo, 10 testosterone), and 21 were included in the primary analysis (11 placebo, 10 testosterone). Testosterone therapy did not ameliorate CRF symptoms (placebo to testosterone difference in predicted mean multidimensional fatigue symptom inventory scores: -5.6, 95% CI: -24.6 to 13.3), improve inflammatory markers, or preserve health-related quality of life and functional measures of performance in late-stage cancer patients.

Altered Fecal Microbiome Years after Traumatic Brain Injury.

Patients with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring long-term, permanent care suffer a myriad of clinical symptoms (i.e., impaired cognition, fatigue, and other conditions) that persist for years beyond the acute brain injury. In addition to these comorbid clinical symptoms, chronic TBI patients exhibit altered amino acid and hormonal profiles with distinct cytokine patterns suggesting chronic inflammation. This metabolic link suggests a role of the gut-brain axis in chronic TBI. Thus, we utilized a two-site trial to investigate the role of the gut-brain axis in comorbidities of chronic TBI. The fecal microbiome profile of 22 moderate/severe TBI patients residing in permanent care facilities in Texas and California was compared to 18 healthy age-matched control subjects working within the participating facilities. Each fecal microbiome was characterized by 16S(V4) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing and metagenomic genome sequencing approaches followed by confirmatory full 16S rRNA gene sequencing or focused tuf gene speciation and specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction evaluation of selected genera or species. The average chronic TBI patient fecal microbiome structure was significantly different compared to the control cohort, and these differences persisted after group stratification analysis to identify any unexpected confounders. Notably, the fecal microbiome of the chronic TBI cohort had absent or reduced Prevotella spp. and Bacteroidies spp. Conversely, bacteria in the Ruminococcaceae family were higher in abundance in TBI compared to control profiles. Previously reported hypoaminoacidemia, including significantly reduced levels of l-tryptophan, l-sarcosine, ß-alanine, and alanine, positively correlated with the reduced levels of Prevotella spp. in the TBI cohort samples compared to controls. Although the sequelae of gut-brain axis disruption after TBI is not fully understood, characterizing TBI-related alterations in the fecal microbiome may provide biomarkers and therapeutic targets to address patient morbidity.

Proteomic investigation of human skeletal muscle before and after 70 days of head down bed rest with or without exercise and testosterone countermeasures.

INTRODUCTION: Long-term head-down bed rest (HDBR) results in musculoskeletal losses similar to those observed during long-term space flight. Agents such as testosterone, in addition to regular exercise, are effective countermeasures for reducing loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the skeletal muscle proteome of healthy men in response to long term HDBR alone (CON) and to HDBR with exercise (PEX) or exercise plus testosterone (TEX) countermeasures. METHOD: Biopsies were performed on the vastus lateralis before (pre) HDBR and on HDBR days 32 (mid) and 64 (post). Extracted proteins from these skeletal muscle biopsies were subjected to 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE), stained for phosphoproteins (Pro-Q Diamond dye) and total proteins (Sypro Ruby dye). Proteins showing significant fold differences (t-test p ≤ 0.05) in abundance or phosphorylation state at mid or post were identified by mass spectroscopy (MS). RESULTS: From a total of 932 protein spots, 130 spots were identified as potentially altered in terms of total protein or phosphoprotein levels due to HDBR and/or countermeasures, and 59 unique molecules emerged from MS analysis. Top canonical pathways identified through IPA included calcium signaling, actin cytoskeleton signaling, integrin linked kinase (ILK) signaling, and epithelial adherens junction signaling. Data from the pre-HDBR proteome supported the potential for predicting physiological post-HDBR responses such as the individual's potential for loss vs. maintenance of muscle mass and strength. CONCLUSIONS: HDBR resulted in alterations to skeletal muscle abundances and phosphorylation of several structural and metabolic proteins. Inclusion of exercise alone or in combination with testosterone treatment modulated the proteomic responses towards cellular reorganization and hypertrophy, respectively. Finally, the baseline proteome may aid in the development of personalized countermeasures to mitigate health risks in astronauts as related to loss of muscle mass and function.

Quantification of muscle triglyceride synthesis rate requires an adjustment for total triglyceride content.

Intramyocellular triglyceride (imTG) in skeletal muscle plays a significant role in metabolic health, and an infusion of [13C16]palmitate can be used to quantitate the in vivo fractional synthesis rate (FSR) and absolute synthesis rate (ASR) of imTGs. However, the extramyocellular TG (emTG) pool, unless precisely excised, contaminates the imTG pool, diluting the imTG-bound tracer enrichment and leading to underestimation of FSR. Because of the difficulty of excising the emTGs precisely, it would be advantageous to be able to calculate the imTG synthesis rate without dissecting the emTGs from each sample. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the ASR of total TGs (tTGs), a combination of imTGs and emTGs, calculated as "FSR × tTG pool," reasonably represents the imTG synthesis. Muscle lipid parameters were measured in nine healthy women at 90 and 170 min after the start of [13C16]palmitate infusion. While the measurements of tTG content, enrichment, and FSR did not correlate (P > 0.05), those of the tTG ASR were significantly correlated (r = 0.947, P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that when imTGs and emTGs are pooled, the resulting underestimation of imTG FSR is balanced by the overestimation of the imTG content. We conclude that imTG metabolism is reflected by the measurement of the tTG ASR.

Efficacy of Testosterone plus NASA Exercise Countermeasures during Head-Down Bed Rest.

INTRODUCTION: Prolonged confinement to head-down bed rest (HDBR) results in musculoskeletal losses similar to those observed during long-duration space flight. Exercise countermeasures by themselves have not completely prevented the deleterious losses in muscle mass or function in HDBR or space flight. PURPOSE: The objective was to investigate the safety and efficacy of intermittent, low-dose testosterone treatment in conjunction with NASA exercise (SPRINT) countermeasures during 70 d of 6° HDBR. METHODS: Healthy men (35 ± 8 yr) were randomized into one of three groups that remained inactive (CON) or performed exercise 6 d·wk in addition to receiving either placebo (PEX) or testosterone treatment (TEX, 100 mg·wk). Testosterone/placebo injections were administered once a week for 2 wk, followed by 2 wk off and so on, during HDBR. RESULTS: Total, leg, and trunk lean body mass (LBM) consistently decreased in CON, increased in TEX, and had little or no changes in PEX. Total, leg, and trunk fat mass consistently increased in CON and PEX and decreased in TEX. Leg strength decreased in CON, whereas PEX and TEX were protected against loss in strength. Changes in leg LBM correlated positively with changes in leg muscle strength. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of a testosterone countermeasure enhanced the preventative actions of exercise against body composition changes during long-term HDBR in healthy eugonadal men. This is the first report to demonstrate that cycled, low-dose testosterone treatment increases LBM under conditions of strict exercise control. These results are clinically relevant to the development of safe and effective therapies against muscle atrophy during long-term bed rest, aging, and disease where loss of muscle mass and strength is a risk. The potential space flight applications of such countermeasure combinations deserve further investigations.

A randomized trial of adjunct testosterone for cancer-related muscle loss in men and women.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cachexia negatively impacts cancer-related treatment options, quality of life, morbidity, and mortality, yet no established therapies exist. We investigated the anabolic properties of testosterone to limit the loss of body mass in late stage cancer patients undergoing standard of care cancer treatment. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial was undertaken to assess the potential therapeutic role of adjunct testosterone to limit loss of body mass in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix or head and neck undergoing standard of care treatment including chemotherapy and chemoradiation. Patients were randomly assigned in blocks to receive weekly injections of either 100 mg testosterone enanthate or placebo for 7 weeks. The primary outcome was per cent change in lean body mass, and secondary outcomes included assessment of quality of life, tests of physical performance, muscle strength, daily activity levels, resting energy expenditure, nutritional intake, and overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 28 patients were enrolled, 22 patients were studied to completion, and 21 patients were included in the final analysis (12 placebo, nine testosterone). Adjunct testosterone increased lean body mass by 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0-7%) whereas those receiving placebo lost 3.3% (95% CI, -7% to 1%, P = 0.015). Although testosterone patients maintained more favourable body condition, sustained daily activity levels, and showed meaningful improvements in quality of life and physical performance, overall survival was similar in both treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced cancer undergoing the early phase of standard of care therapy, adjunct testosterone improved lean body mass and was also associated with increased quality of life, and physical activity compared with placebo.

Repetitive TLR3 activation in the lung induces skeletal muscle adaptations and cachexia.

Due to immunosenescence, older adults are particularly susceptible to lung-based viral infections, with increased severity of symptoms in those with underlying chronic lung disease. Repeated respiratory viral infections produce lung maladaptations, accelerating pulmonary dysfunction. Toll like 3 receptor (TLR3) is a membrane protein that senses exogenous double-stranded RNA to activate the innate immune response to a viral infection. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] mimics double stranded RNA and has been shown to activate TLR3. Utilizing an established mouse viral exacerbation model produced by repetitive intranasal poly(I:C) administration, we sought to determine whether repetitive poly(I:C) treatment induced negative muscle adaptations (i.e. atrophy, weakness, and loss of function). We determined skeletal muscle morphological properties (e.g. fiber-type, fiber cross-sectional area, muscle wet mass, etc.) from a treated group ((poly(I:C), n = 9) and a sham-treated control group (PBS, n = 9); age approximately 5 months. In a subset (n = 4 for both groups), we determined in vivo physical function (using grip test for strength, rotarod for overall motor function, and treadmill for endurance) and muscle contractile properties with in vitro physiology (in the EDL, soleus and diaphragm). Our findings demonstrate that poly(I:C)-treated mice exhibit both muscle morphological and functional deficits. Changes of note when comparing poly(I:C)-treated mice to PBS-treated controls include reductions in fiber cross-sectional area (-27% gastrocnemius, -25% soleus, -16% diaphragm), contractile dysfunction (soleus peak tetanic force, -26%), muscle mass (gastrocnemius -19%, soleus -23%), physical function (grip test -34%), body mass (-20%), and altered oxidative capacity (140% increase in succinate dehydrogenase activity in the diaphragm, but 66% lower in the gastrocnemius). Our data is supportive of a new model of cachexia/sarcopenia that has potential for future research into the mechanisms underlying muscle wasting.

Sex-dependent difference in the relationship between adipose-tissue cholesterol efflux and estradiol concentrations in young healthy humans.

BACKGROUND: Impaired adipose tissue function and lower levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been implicated in the development of vascular dementia, and metabolic diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, both the substrate fluxes in adipose tissue and HDL-C concentration differ between men and women. Moreover, adipose tissue cholesterol efflux has been implicated in modulation of HDL-C levels. Thus, we aimed to determine if the association between serum estradiol levels and adipose tissue cholesterol efflux is sex-dependent. METHOD: We evaluated the serum estradiol levels and adipose tissue cholesterol efflux in young healthy men (n=5) and women (n=3). Adipose tissue cholesterol efflux was determined using subcutaneous microdialysis probes. Linear regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between the parameters, p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that serum estradiol levels directly associated with adipose tissue cholesterol efflux; however, the relationships may be sex-dependent. We discussed our results in the context of currently available data regarding sex-dependent variability in adipose tissue function and HDL-C metabolism as a potential contributor to higher rates of vascular dementia in men. Further research is required to understand the sex-dependent and -independent variabilities in adipose tissue metabolism to determine novel targets for interventions to prevent the development of vascular dementia.

Hypoaminoacidemia Characterizes Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.

Individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at increased risk for a number of disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. However, mediators of the long-term morbidity are uncertain. We conducted a multi-site, prospective trial in chronic TBI patients (∼18 years post-TBI) living in long-term 24-h care environments and local controls without a history of head injury. Inability to give informed consent was exclusionary for participation. A total of 41 individuals (17 moderate-severe TBI, 24 controls) were studied before and after consumption of a standardized breakfast to determine if concentrations of amino acids, cytokines, C-reactive protein, and insulin are potential mediators of long-term TBI morbidity. Analyte concentrations were measured in serum drawn before (fasting) and 1 h after meal consumption. Mean ages were 44 ± 15 and 49 ± 11 years for controls and chronic TBI patients, respectively. Chronic TBI patients had significantly lower circulating concentrations of numerous individual amino acids, as well as essential amino acids (p = 0.03) and large neutral amino acids (p = 0.003) considered as groups, and displayed fundamentally altered cytokine-amino acid relationships. Many years after injury, TBI patients exhibit abnormal metabolic responses and altered relationships between circulating amino acids, cytokines, and hormones. This pattern is consistent with TBI, inducing a chronic disease state in patients. Understanding the mechanisms causing the chronic disease state could lead to new treatments for its prevention.

Palmitoyl-carnitine production by blood cells associates with the concentration of circulating acyl-carnitines in healthy overweight women.

BACKGROUND: Circulating acyl-carnitines (acyl-CNTs) are associated with insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in both rodents and humans. However, the mechanisms whereby circulating acyl-CNTs are increased in these conditions and their role in whole-body metabolism remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine if, in humans, blood cells contribute in production of circulating acyl-CNTs and associate with whole-body fat metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight non-diabetic healthy women (age: 47 ± 19 y; BMI: 26 ± 1 kg·m-2) underwent stable isotope tracer infusion and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp study to determine in vivo whole-body fatty acid flux and insulin sensitivity. Blood samples collected at baseline (0 min) and after 3 h of clamp were used to determine the synthesis rate of palmitoyl-carnitine (palmitoyl-CNT) in vitro. The fractional synthesis rate of palmitoyl-CNT was significantly higher during hyperinsulinemia (0.788 ± 0.084 vs. 0.318 ± 0.012%·hr-1, p = 0.001); however, the absolute synthesis rate (ASR) did not differ between the periods (p = 0.809) due to ∼30% decrease in blood palmitoyl-CNT concentration (p = 0.189) during hyperinsulinemia. The ASR of palmitoyl-CNT significantly correlated with the concentration of acyl-CNTs in basal (r = 0.992, p < 0.001) and insulin (r = 0.919, p = 0.001) periods; and the basal ASR significantly correlated with plasma palmitate oxidation (r = 0.764, p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: In women, blood cells contribute to plasma acyl-CNT levels and the acyl-CNT production is linked to plasma palmitate oxidation, a marker of whole-body fat metabolism. Future studies are needed to confirm the role of blood cells in acyl-CNT and lipid metabolism under different physiological (i.e., in response to meal) and pathological (i.e., hyperlipidemia, IR and T2D) conditions.

Functional Changes after Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Replacement in Patients with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury and Abnormal Growth Hormone Secretion.

We explored the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) replacement on physical and cognitive functioning in subjects with a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) with abnormal growth hormone (GH) secretion. Fifteen individuals who sustained a TBI at least 12 months prior to study enrollment were identified as having abnormal GH secretion by glucagon stimulation testing (maximum GH response less than 8 ng/mL). Peak cardiorespiratory capacity, body composition, and muscle force testing were assessed at baseline and one year after rhGH replacement. Additionally, standardized neuropsychological tests that assess memory, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility, as well as self-report inventories related to depression and fatigue, were administered at baseline and 1 year after rhGH replacement. Comparison tests were performed with proper post hoc analyses. All analyses were carried out at α < 0.05. Peak O2 consumption, peak oxygen pulse (estimate of cardiac stroke volume), and peak ventilation all significantly increased (p < 0.05). Maximal isometric and isokinetic force production were not altered. Skeletal muscle fatigue did not change but the perceptual rating of fatigue was reduced by ∼25% (p = 0.06). Cognitive performance did not change significantly over time, whereas self-reported symptoms related to depression and fatigue significantly improved. The observed changes suggest that rhGH replacement has a positive impact on cardiorespiratory fitness and a positive impact on perceptual fatigue in survivors of TBI with altered GH secretion.

Mitochondrial respiratory capacity and coupling control decline with age in human skeletal muscle.

Mitochondrial health is critical to physiological function, particularly in tissues with high ATP turnover, such as striated muscle. It has been postulated that derangements in skeletal muscle mitochondrial function contribute to impaired physical function in older adults. Here, we determined mitochondrial respiratory capacity and coupling control in skeletal muscle biopsies obtained from young and older adults. Twenty-four young (28 ± 7 yr) and thirty-one older (62 ± 8 yr) adults were studied. Mitochondrial respiration was determined in permeabilized myofibers from the vastus lateralis after the addition of substrates oligomycin and CCCP. Thereafter, mitochondrial coupling control was calculated. Maximal coupled respiration (respiration linked to ATP production) was lower in muscle from older vs. young subjects (P < 0.01), as was maximal uncoupled respiration (P = 0.06). Coupling control in response to the ATP synthase inhibitor oligomycin was lower in older adults (P < 0.05), as was the mitochondria flux control ratio, coupled respiration normalized to maximal uncoupled respiration (P < 0.05). Calculation of respiratory function revealed lower respiration linked to ATP production (P < 0.001) and greater reserve respiration (P < 0.01); i.e., respiratory capacity not used for phosphorylation in muscle from older adults. We conclude that skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiratory capacity and coupling control decline with age. Lower respiratory capacity and coupling efficiency result in a reduced capacity for ATP production in skeletal muscle of older adults.

Weekly versus monthly testosterone administration on fast and slow skeletal muscle fibers in older adult males.

CONTEXT: In older adults, loss of mobility due to sarcopenia is exacerbated in men with low serum T. T replacement therapy is known to increase muscle mass and strength, but the effect of weekly (WK) vs monthly (MO) administration on specific fiber types is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of WK vs MO T replacement on the size and functional capacity of individual fast and slow skeletal muscle fiber types. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Subjects were randomized into a 5-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. All subjects (ages, 61-71 y) were community-dwelling men who had T levels < 500 ng/dL. INTERVENTION: Subjects were dosed weekly for 5 months, receiving continuous T (WK, n = 5; 100 mg T enanthate, im injection), monthly cycled T (MO, n = 7; alternating months of T and placebo), or placebo (n = 7). Muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis were obtained before and after treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcomes for individual slow and fast fibers included fiber diameter, peak force (P0), rate of tension development, maximal shortening velocity, peak power, and Ca(2+) sensitivity. RESULTS: Both treatments increased fiber diameter and peak power, with WK treatment 5-fold more effective than MO in increasing type I fiber P0. WK effects on fiber diameter and force were 1.5-fold higher in slow fibers compared to fast fibers. In fast type II fibers, diameter and P0 increased similarly between treatments. The increased power was entirely due to increased fiber size and force. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, T replacement effects were fiber-type dependent, restricted to increases in cell size, P0, and peak power, and dependent on the paradigm selected (WK vs MO).

Ligands for FKBP12 increase Ca2+ influx and protein synthesis to improve skeletal muscle function.

Rapamycin at high doses (2-10 mg/kg body weight) inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and protein synthesis in mice. In contrast, low doses of rapamycin (10 µg/kg) increase mTORC1 activity and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. Similar changes are found with SLF (synthetic ligand for FKBP12, which does not inhibit mTORC1) and in mice with a skeletal muscle-specific FKBP12 deficiency. These interventions also increase Ca(2+) influx to enhance refilling of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) stores, slow muscle fatigue, and increase running endurance without negatively impacting cardiac function. FKBP12 deficiency or longer treatments with low dose rapamycin or SLF increase the percentage of type I fibers, further adding to fatigue resistance. We demonstrate that FKBP12 and its ligands impact multiple aspects of muscle function.

Neuropsychological and physiological correlates of fatigue following traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common and debilitating phenomenon experienced by individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can negatively influence rate and extent of functional recovery by reducing participation in brain injury rehabilitation services and increasing maladaptive lifestyle practices. The underlying mechanisms of TBI-related fatigue are not entirely understood and focused research on symptom reduction or prevention is limited. REVIEW: The current review of the literature suggests that the aetiology of TBI-related fatigue can be viewed as a multifactorial and complex model impacting physiological systems (i.e. endocrine, skeletal muscle and cardiorespiratory) that can be directly or indirectly influenced by neuropsychological correlates including cognitive and psychological impairment. Distinguishing central from peripheral fatigue is helpful in this regard. Potential therapeutic strategies and pharmacological agents to help alleviate fatigue in this patient population are discussed.

Sildenafil increases muscle protein synthesis and reduces muscle fatigue.

Reductions in skeletal muscle function occur during the course of healthy aging as well as with bed rest or diverse diseases such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, and heart failure. However, there are no accepted pharmacologic therapies to improve impaired skeletal muscle function. Nitric oxide may influence skeletal muscle function through effects on excitation-contraction coupling, myofibrillar function, perfusion, and metabolism. Here we show that augmentation of nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling by short-term daily administration of the phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor sildenafil increases protein synthesis, alters protein expression and nitrosylation, and reduces fatigue in human skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors represent viable pharmacologic interventions to improve muscle function.

Cancer cachexia and anabolic interventions: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Standard-of-care (SOC) cancer treatments are primarily aimed at reducing size and progression of a tumor. There is a need for successful supplemental anabolic therapies to combat cancer cachexia in addition to these SOC treatment modalities. Anabolic interventions, including testosterone and amino acid supplements, may be beneficial in reducing and/or reversing muscle wasting in these patient populations. METHODS: A 48-year-old Caucasian female with recurrent cervical cancer was scheduled to receive three 21-day cycles of cisplatin and topetecan chemotherapy. She qualified, consented, and enrolled into a blinded interventional pilot study where she received daily whey protein (10 g, three times per day with meals) and a weekly injection of testosterone enanthate (100 mg intramuscular) before and during the SOC chemotherapy treatment period. Body composition, serum inflammatory markers, mixed muscle protein synthesis and breakdown rates, physical function, fatigue, and quality of life were assessed before and after the intervention period. RESULTS: Body composition, as assessed by an increase in body weight and lean body mass and reduction in fat mass; physical function; fatigue; and quality of life each improved across the entire intervention period despite general increases in inflammatory markers and no improvements in muscle protein turnover towards the end of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant treatment of oral amino acids and testosterone may be a viable therapeutic option for fighting cachexia and improving body composition and quality of life during chemotherapeutic treatment of recurrent cervical cancer. These positive outcomes may be attainable over time despite overall poor inflammatory status.

Muscle protein metabolism responds similarly to exogenous amino acids in healthy younger and older adults during NO-induced hyperemia.

The combination of increasing blood flow and amino acid (AA) availability provides an anabolic stimulus to the skeletal muscle of healthy young adults by optimizing both AA delivery and utilization. However, aging is associated with a blunted response to anabolic stimuli and may involve impairments in endothelial function. We investigated whether age-related differences exist in the muscle protein anabolic response to AAs between younger (30 ± 2 yr) and older (67 ± 2 yr) adults when macrovascular and microvascular leg blood flow were similarly increased with the nitric oxide (NO) donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Regardless of age, SNP+AA induced similar increases above baseline (P ≤ 0.05) in macrovascular flow (4.3 vs. 4.4 ml·min(-1)·100 ml leg(-1) measured using indocyanine green dye dilution), microvascular flow (1.4 vs. 0.8 video intensity/s measured using contrast-enhanced ultrasound), phenylalanine net balance (59 vs. 68 nmol·min(-1)·100 ml·leg(-1)), fractional synthetic rate (0.02 vs. 0.02%/h), and model-derived muscle protein synthesis (62 vs. 49 nmol·min(-1)·100 ml·leg(-1)) in both younger vs. older individuals, respectively. Provision of AAs during NO-induced local skeletal muscle hyperemia stimulates skeletal muscle protein metabolism in older adults to a similar extent as in younger adults. Our results suggest that the aging vasculature is responsive to exogenous NO and that there is no age-related difference per se in AA-induced anabolism under such hyperemic conditions.

A randomized pilot study of monthly cycled testosterone replacement or continuous testosterone replacement versus placebo in older men.

CONTEXT: Cycling androgens has been reported by athletes to improve physical performance by enhancing muscle mass and strength, a paradigm that has not been studied, and may have clinical value in older men being treated with testosterone. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the efficacy of a monthly cycled testosterone regimen that uses half the testosterone dose as the current standard of care continuous therapy on body composition and muscle strength in older men. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Twenty-four community-dwelling older men 70 ± 2 yr of age with total testosterone levels below 500 ng/dl were randomized at the Institute for Translational Sciences-Clinical Research Center into a 5-month double-blind placebo-controlled trial. INTERVENTION: Subjects were dosed weekly for 5 months, receiving continuous testosterone (TE, n = 8; 100 mg testosterone enanthate, im injection), monthly cycled testosterone (MO, n = 8; alternating months of testosterone and placebo), or placebo (PL, n = 8). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Main outcomes included body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and upper and lower body muscle strength. Secondary outcomes included body weight, serum hormones, and mixed-muscle protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR). RESULTS: Total lean body mass was increased and percent fat was reduced after 5 months in TE and MO (P < 0.05). Upper body muscle strength increased in TE, and lower body muscle strength increased in TE and MO (P < 0.05). FSR increased in TE and MO (P < 0.05) but not in PL. CONCLUSIONS: Cycled testosterone improved body composition and increased muscle strength compared with placebo and increased FSR similarly to continuous testosterone.

Age-related anabolic resistance after endurance-type exercise in healthy humans.

Age-related skeletal muscle loss is thought to stem from suboptimal nutrition and resistance to anabolic stimuli. Impaired microcirculatory (nutritive) blood flow may contribute to anabolic resistance by reducing delivery of amino acids to skeletal muscle. In this study, we employed contrast-enhanced ultrasound, microdialysis sampling of skeletal muscle interstitium, and stable isotope methodology, to assess hemodynamic and metabolic responses of older individuals to endurance type (walking) exercise during controlled amino acid provision. We hypothesized that older individuals would exhibit reduced microcirculatory blood flow, interstitial amino acid concentrations, and amino acid transport when compared with younger controls. We report for the first time that aging induces anabolic resistance following endurance exercise, manifested as reduced (by ∼40%) efficiency of muscle protein synthesis. Despite lower (by ∼40-45%) microcirculatory flow in the older than in the younger participants, circulating and interstitial amino acid concentrations and phenylalanine transport into skeletal muscle were all equal or higher in older individuals than in the young, comprehensively refuting our hypothesis that amino acid availability limits postexercise anabolism in older individuals. Our data point to alternative mediators of age-related anabolic resistance and importantly suggest correction of these impairments may reduce requirements for, and increase the efficacy of, dietary protein in older individuals.