Leucine is essential for attenuating fetal growth restriction caused by a protein-restricted diet in rats.

Certain amino acids, such as leucine (Leu) are not only substrates for protein synthesis but also are important regulators of protein metabolism. Moreover, it is known that alterations in intrauterine growth favor the development of chronic diseases in adulthood. Therefore, we investigated the role of Leu in combination with other BCAA on effects that are induced by maternal protein restriction on fetal growth. Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups according to the diet provided during pregnancy: control (C; 20% casein); V+I [5% casein + 2% L-valine (Val) + 2% L-isoleucine (Ile)]; KYT [5% casein + 1.8% L-lysine (Lys) + 1.2% L-tyrosine (Tyr) + 1% L-threonine (Thr)]; and BCAA (5% casein + 1.8% L-Leu + 1.2% L-Val + 1% L-Ile). Maternal protein restriction reduced the growth and organ weight of the offspring of dams receiving the V+I and KYT diets compared with the C group. Supplementation with BCAA reversed this growth deficit, minimizing the difference or restoring the mass of organs and carcass fat, the liver and muscle protein, and the RNA concentrations compared with newborns in the C group (P < 0.05). These effects could be explained by the activation of the mTOR signaling pathway, because phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 in the liver of offspring of the BCAA group was greater than that in the C, V+I, and KYT groups. The present results identify a critical role for Leu in association with other BCAA in the activation of the mTOR signaling pathway for the control of altered intrauterine growth induced by a maternal low-protein diet.

Resistance training and caloric restriction prevent systolic blood pressure rise by improving the nitric oxide effect on smooth muscle and morphological changes in the aorta of ovariectomized rats.

In this study, we investigated the effects of resistance training (RT), caloric restriction (CR), and the association of both interventions in aortic vascular reactivity and morphological alterations, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity, insulin resistance and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in ovariectomized rats. Fifty female Holtzman rats were subjected to ovariectomy and Sham surgery and distributed into the following groups: Sham-sedentary, ovariectomized-sedentary, ovariectomized-resistance training, ovariectomized-caloric restriction, and ovariectomized-resistance training and caloric restriction groups. RT and 30% CR protocols were performed for 13 weeks. Analyses were conducted to evaluate the following: acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation of aortic rings, MMP-2 activity, insulin tolerance test, highlighting of the aorta wall cross-sectional area by hematoxylin-eosin stain, aorta vessel remodeling and SBP. We observed that ovariectomy decreased the potency of dependent and independent endothelium relaxation and MMP-2 activity, prevented insulin resistance, promoted aorta vessel remodeling in the cross-sectional area, and promoted the media-to-lumen ratio, the collagen content, and the alteration of the structure and elastic fibers of the vessel. The effects of the ovariectomy could contribute to SBP increases. However, the association of exercise and diet improved the relaxation potency in dependent and independent endothelium relaxation, elevated MMP-2 activity, ameliorate insulin sensitivity, increased the aorta cross-sectional area and media-to-lumen ratio, decreased collagen content and promoted histological parameters of the aorta vessel wall, preventing the increase of SBP. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that the RT and CR separately, and even associatively, improved vascular function, activated MMP-2, and produced a beneficial hypertrophic remodeling, preventing the elevation of SBP in ovariectomized rats.

Maternal postnatal high-fat diet, rather than gestational diet, affects morphology and mTOR pathway in skeletal muscle of weaning rat.

The positive regulation of insulin pathway in skeletal muscle results in increased activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a positive effector of mRNA translation rate and protein synthesis. Studies that assess the activity of this protein in response to chronic high-fat diet (HFD) are scarce and controversial, and to date, there are no studies evaluating the mTOR pathway in infants exposed to gestational and postgestational HFD. This study investigated the effect of maternal HFD on skeletal muscle morphology and on phosphorylation of proteins that comprise the intracellular mTOR signaling pathway in soleus muscle of offspring at weaning. For this purpose, 10 days prior to conception, 39 female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to either control diet (CTL) or HFD. Later, rats were distributed into four groups according to gestational and postpregnancy diet: CTL/CTL (n=10), CTL/HF (n=11), HF/HF (n=10) and HF/CTL (n=8). After 21 days of lactation, pups were killed, and blood samples and soleus and gastrocnemius skeletal muscle were collected for analysis. We observed an influence of maternal postgestational diet, rather than gestational diet, in promoting an obese phenotype, characterized by body fat accumulation, insulin resistance and high serum leptin, glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol levels (P<.05). We have also detected alterations on skeletal muscle morphology--with reduced myofiber density--and impairment on S6 kinase 1 and 4E binding protein-1 phosphorylation (P<.05). These results emphasize the importance of maternal diet during lactation on muscle morphology and on physiological adaptations of infant rats.

Long-term leucine supplementation reduces fat mass gain without changing body protein status of aging rats.

OBJECTIVE: Aging is characterized by alterations in body composition such as an increase in body fat and decreases in muscle mass (sarcopenia) and bone density (osteopenia). Leucine supplementation has been shown to acutely stimulate protein synthesis and to decrease body fat. However, the long-term effect of consistent leucine supplementation is not well defined. This study investigated the effect of leucine supplementation during aging. METHODS: Six-month-old rats were divided into three groups: an adult group (n = 10) euthanized at 6 mo of age, a leucine group (n = 16) that received a diet supplemented with 4% leucine for 40 wk, and a control group (n = 19) that received the control diet for 40 wk. The following parameters were evaluated: body weight, food intake, chemical carcass composition, indicators of acquired chronic diseases, and indicators of protein nutritional status. RESULTS: Body weight and fat were lower in the leucine group after 40 wk of supplementation compared with the control group but still higher than in the adult group. The lipid and glycemic profiles were equally altered in the control and leucine groups because of aging. In addition, leucine supplementation did not affect the changes in protein status parameters associated with aging, such as decreases in body and muscle protein and total serum protein. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that leucine supplementation attenuates body fat gain during aging but does not affect risk indicators of acquired chronic diseases. Furthermore, supplemented animals did not show signs of a prevention of the decrease in lean mass associated with aging.

Leucine supplementation improves adiponectin and total cholesterol concentrations despite the lack of changes in adiposity or glucose homeostasis in rats previously exposed to a high-fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that leucine supplementation (LS) has a therapeutic potential to prevent obesity and to promote glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, regular physical exercise is a widely accepted strategy for body weight maintenance and also for the prevention of obesity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chronic LS alone or combined with endurance training (ET) as potential approaches for reversing the insulin resistance and obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in rats. METHODS: Forty-seven rats were randomly divided into two groups. Animals were fed a control diet-low fat (n = 10) or HFD (n = 37). After 15 weeks on HFD, all rats received the control diet-low fat and were randomly divided according to treatment: reference (REF), LS, ET, and LS+ET (n = 7-8 rats per group). After 6 weeks of treatment, the animals were sacrificed and body composition, fat cell volume, and serum concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerol, glucose, adiponectin, leptin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were analyzed. RESULTS: At the end of the sixth week of treatment, there was no significant difference in body weight between the REF, LS, ET and LS+ET groups. However, ET increased lean body mass in rats (P = 0.019). In addition, ET was more effective than LS in reducing adiposity (P = 0.019), serum insulin (P = 0.022) and TNF-α (P = 0.044). Conversely, LS increased serum adiponectin (P = 0.021) levels and reduced serum total cholesterol concentration (P = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that LS had no beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity or adiposity in previously obese rats. On the other hand, LS was effective in increasing adiponectin levels and in reducing total cholesterol concentration.

Efeito da restrição calórica e do treinamento resistido em marcadores de resistência à insulina de ratas ovariectomizadas / Effect of calorie restriction and strength training on markers of insulin resistance in ovariectomized rats

Neste estudo, avaliamos o efeito da restrição calórica e do treinamento resistido na massa corporal e na sensibilidade à insulina de ratas ovariectomizadas. 80 ratas fêmeas da linhagem Holtzman foram distribuídas em 8 grupos (n=10 cada): ovariectomizado (OVX), ovariectomizado com restrição calórica (OVX RC), ovariectomizado com treinamento resistido (OVX TR), ovariectomizado com restrição calórica e treinamento resistido (OVX TR+RC), Sham operado (SHAM), Sham com restrição calórica (SHAM RC), sham com treinamento resistido (SHAM TR), sham com restrição calórica e treinamento resistido (SHAM TR+RC). Após 13 semanas de intervenção, foram analisados: massa corporal, gordura corporal; concentrações sanguíneas de glicose, insulina e adiponectina; conteúdo de AKT total e fosforilada, pi3k e Glut 4 (nos tecidos adiposos subcutâneo e retroperitoneal). As ratas ovariectomizadas (OVX, OVX RC, OVX TR e OVX TR+RC) apresentaram maior massa corporal e gordura corporal quando comparadas ao grupo SHAM. As concentrações de glicose e insulina foram semelhantes em todos os grupos experimentais, porém a concentração de adiponectina foi menor nos grupos ovariectomizados (OVX, OVX RC, OVX TR e OVX TR+RC), quando comparados ao grupo SHAM. A RC e o TR aumentaram a concentração de adiponectina quando comparado ao grupo OVX. Não houve diferença entre os grupos em relação à via de sinalização da insulina nos tecidos adiposos subcutâneo e retroperitoneal. Concluímos que a ovariectomia causa aumento de massa e gordura corporal, levando à menor concentração de adiponectina, e que a RC e o TR alteram estas modificações

In this study, we evaluated the effect of calorie restriction and strength training on the body weight and insulin sensitivity of ovariectomized rats. Eighty female Holtzman rats were divided into eight groups (n=10 per group): ovariectomized (OVX), ovariectomized plus calorie restriction (OVX-CR), ovariectomized plus strength training (OVX-ST), ovariectomized plus strength training and calorie restriction (OVX-ST+CR), sham operated (SHAM), sham plus calorie restriction (SHAM-CR), sham plus strength training (SHAM-ST), and sham plus strength training and calorie restriction (SHAM-ST+CR). The following variables were analyzed after 13 weeks of intervention: body weight; body fat; blood concentrations of glucose, insulin and adiponectin; total and phosphorylated AKT content; pi3k and Glut 4 (in subcutaneous and retroperitoneal adipose tissues). Ovariectomized rats (OVX, OVX-CR, OVX-ST, and OVX-ST+CR) had a higher body weight and body fat than SHAM animals. Glucose and insulin concentrations were similar in all experimental groups, but adiponectin concentration was lower in the ovariectomized groups (OVX, OVX-CR, OVX-ST, and OVX-ST+CR) when compared to the SHAM group. Calorie restriction and ST increased the concentration of adiponectin when compared to the OVX group. There was no difference between groups in terms of insulin signaling in subcutaneous or retroperitoneal adipose tissue. We conclude that ovariectomy increases body weight and body fat, reducing adiponectin concentration, and that CR and ST alter these modifications

Protein synthesis regulation by leucine / Regulação da síntese de proteína pela leucina

In vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that high protein diets affect both protein synthesis and regulation of several cellular processes. The role of amino acids as substrate for protein synthesis has been established in the literature. However, the mechanism by which these amino acids modulate transcription and regulate the mRNA translation via mTOR-dependent signaling pathway has yet to be fully determined. It has been verified that mTOR is a protein responsible for activating a cascade of biochemical intracellular events which result in the activation of the protein translation process. Of the aminoacids, leucine is the most effective in stimulating protein synthesis and reducing proteolysis. Therefore, it promotes a positive nitrogen balance, possibly by favoring the activation of this protein. This amino acid also directly and indirectly stimulates the synthesis and secretion of insulin, enhancing its anabolic cellular effects. Therefore, this review aimed to identify the role of leucine in protein synthesis modulation and to discuss the metabolic aspects related to this aminoacid.

Estudos in vivo e in vitro verificaram que dietas hiperprotéicas influenciam a síntese protéica e regulam vários processos celulares. O papel dos aminoácidos como substrato para a síntese de proteínas já está bem evidenciado na literatura, porém as formas como esses aminoácidos modulam a etapa da transcrição e regulam a tradução do RNAm, pela via de sinalização dependente da mTOR, ainda não estão totalmente esclarecidas. Tem-se verificado que a mTOR é uma proteína responsável por ativar uma cascata de eventos bioquímicos intracelulares que culminam na ativação do processo de tradução protéica. Dentre todos os aminoácidos, a leucina é a mais eficaz em estimular a síntese protéica, reduzir a proteólise e, portanto, favorecer o balanço nitrogenado positivo, possivelmente por favorecer a ativação desta proteína. Além disso, este aminoácido estimula direta e indiretamente a síntese e a secreção de insulina, e, assim, aumenta as propriedades anabólicas celulares. Nesse sentido, a presente revisão tem como objetivo identificar o papel da leucina na modulação da síntese protéica e abordar aspectos metabólicos relacionados a este aminoácido.

Aspectos atuais do efeito da leucina sobre o controle glicêmico e a resistência à insulina / Current aspects of leucine effect on glucose control and insulin resistance

The incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing in epidemic proportions. Currently, several studies have suggested that signals from amino acids and hormones present convergence that can lead tochanges in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, thus having effectson the maintenance of body weight. Although in vitro and in vivo studies show considerable effects of leucine on energy homeostasis, by possible effects on satiety and on energy expenditure increase, as well as on genes and on protein expression in several tissues mainly in adipocytes, other effects have been noted to impair glucose homeostasis by promoting insulin resistance and increased gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, leucine signalingis integrated by the protein target of rapamycin in mammals (mTOR), asensor of energy that phosphorylates S6K protein, which is able to phosphorylate serine 307 of the insulin receptor 1 substrate as a negative feedback and therefore favor insulin resistance. Thus, the understanding of integrated transductional, hormonal and nutrient (leucine) signals may favor the clarification over new approaches to the treatment of various metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In conclusion, the objective of this study was to review the role of leucine in glycemic control and insulin resistance.

La incidencia de obesidad y diabetis mellitus tipo 2 esta aumentando en proporciones epidémicas. Actualmente diversos estudios sugieren que señales convergentes originados de aminoácidos y hormonas pueden favorecer alteraciones en el metabolismo de la glucosa y en la sensibilidad a la insulina afectando la mantención del peso corporal. A pesar de estudios in vitro e in vivo que presentan importantes efectos de la leucina en lahomeostasis energética, por posibles acción sobre la saciedad y el aumento del gasto energético, como también en los genes y la expresión de proteínas en varios tejidos, principalmente el adiposo, otros efectos se han destacados por perjudicar la homeostasis de la glucosa, promoviendo resistencia a insulina y aumento de la gluconeogénesis. Además, la señalización de la leucina es integrada por la proteína alvode rapamicina en mamíferos (mTOR), un sensor energético que fosforila la proteína S6k, esta, capaz de actuar por feedback negativo, fosforilando la serina 307del sustrato del receptor de insulina-1 y consecuentemente, favorece la resistencia a la insulina. Así, el entendimiento integrado de las señales transduccionales, hormonales y por nutrientes (leucina), pueden favorecer el entendimiento de nuevos enfoques para el tratamiento de varias enfermedades metabólicas, tales como la obesidad y la diabetes.El objetivo de este estudio fue revisar el papel de la leucina en el control de la glucemia y en la resistencia a la insulina.

A incidência da obesidade e do diabetes mellitus tipo 2 está aumentando em proporções epidêmicas. Atualmente, diversos estudos têm sugerido que sinais oriundos de aminoácidos e hormônios apresentam convergência, podendo favorecer mudanças no metabolismo da glicose e na sensibilidade à insulina e, portanto, exercem efeitos sobre a manutenção do peso corporal. Embora estudos in vitro e in vivo apresentem importantes efeitos da leucina na homeostase energética, por possíveis efeitos na saciedade e no aumento do gasto energético, bem como nos genes e na expressão de proteínas em vários tecidos principalmente nos adiposos, outros efeitos têm sido destacados por prejudicar a homeostase da glicose, promovendo a resistência à insulina e o aumento da gliconeogênese. Além disso, a sinalização da leucina é integrada pela proteína alvo da rapamicina em mamíferos(mTOR), um sensor energético, que fosforila a proteína S6k, sendo esta capaz de agir por feedback negativo, fosforilando na serina 307 o substrato do receptor de insulina-1 e, consequentemente, favorecendo a resistência à insulina. Desse modo, o entendimento integrado dos sinais transducionais, hormonais e por nutrientes (leucina), podem favorecer o esclarecimento sobre novas abordagens para o tratamento de várias doenças metabólicas, tais como a obesidade e o diabetes. Posto isso, o objetivo deste estudo foi revisar o papel da leucina no controle glicêmico e na resistência à insulina.