Vitamin C regulates skeletal muscle post-injury regeneration by promoting myoblast proliferation through its direct interaction with the Pax7 protein.

Previous studies have shown that vitamin C (VC), an essential vitamin for the human body, can promote the differentiation of muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) in vitro and play an important role in skeletal muscle post-injury regeneration. However, the molecular mechanism of VC regulating MuSC proliferation has not been elucidated. In this study, the role of VC in promoting MuSC proliferation and its molecular mechanism were explored using cell molecular biology and animal experiments. The results showed that VC accelerates the progress of skeletal muscle post-injury regeneration by promoting MuSC proliferation in vivo. VC can also promote skeletal muscle regeneration in the case of atrophy. Using the C2C12 myoblast murine cell line, we observed that VC also stimulated cell proliferation. In addition, after an in vitro study establishing the occurrence of a physical interaction between VC and Pax7, we observed that VC also upregulated the total and nuclear Pax7 protein levels. This mechanism increased the expression of Myf5 (Myogenic Factor 5), a Pax7 target gene. This study establishes a theoretical foundation for understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying VC-mediated MuSC proliferation and skeletal muscle regeneration. Moreover, it develops the application of VC in animal muscle nutritional supplements and treatment of skeletal muscle-related diseases.

Vitamin D3 decreases myoblast fusion during the growth and increases myogenic gene expression during the differentiation phase in muscle satellite cells from Korean native beef cattle.

The process of myogenesis, which involves the growth and differentiation of muscle cells, is a crucial determinant of meat yield and quality in beef cattle. Essential nutrients, such as vitamins D and A, play vital roles in the development and maintenance of various tissues, including muscle. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the specific effects of vitamins A and D in bovine muscle. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of vitamins A and D treatment on myogenic fusion and differentiation in bovine satellite cells (BSC). BSC were isolated from Korean native beef cattle, specifically from four female cows approximately 30 mo old. These individual cows were used as biological replicates (n = 3 or 4), and we examined the effects of varying concentrations of vitamins A (All-trans retinoic acid; 100 nM) and D (1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3; 1 nM, 10 nM, and 100 nM), both individually and in combination, on myoblast fusion and myogenic differentiation during the growth phase (48 h) or differentiation phase (6 d). The results were statistically analyzed using GLM procedure of SAS with Tukey's test and t-tests or one-way ANOVA where appropriate. The findings revealed that vitamin A enhanced the myoblast fusion index, while vitamin D treatment decreased the myoblast fusion index during the growth phase. Furthermore, vitamin A treatment during the differentiation phase promoted terminal differentiation by regulating the expression of myogenic regulatory factors (Myf5, MyoD, MyoG, and Myf6) and inducing myotube hypertrophy compared to the control satellite cells (P < 0.01). In contrast, vitamin D treatment during the differentiation phase enhanced myogenic differentiation by increasing the mRNA expression of MyoG and Myf6 (P < 0.01). Moreover, the combined treatment of vitamins A and D during the growth phase increased myoblast fusion and further promoted myogenic differentiation and hypertrophy of myotubes during the differentiation phase (P < 0.01). These results suggest that vitamin A and D supplementation may have differential effects on muscle development in Korean native beef cattle during the feeding process.

The study investigated the effects of vitamins A and D on the growth and differentiation phases of bovine satellite cells and found that both vitamins have a positive impact on muscle development. Vitamin A promoted myoblast fusion during the growth phase, leading to increased myotube formation, while vitamin D suppressed myoblast fusion during this phase. However, during the differentiation phase, both vitamins enhanced terminal differentiation and hypertrophy. Vitamin A promoted the activation of satellite cells, while vitamin D promoted the expression of genes that enhance myogenesis. The combination treatment of vitamins A and D during the growth phase complemented each other to increase myogenic cell fusion, and during differentiation, promoted terminal differentiation and hypertrophy. These findings suggest that supplementing cattle feed with both vitamins A and D has the potential to enhance muscle development, which would be advantageous for the meat industry.

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) Extract and Its Active Compound, Casuarinin, Activate Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells In Vitro and In Vivo.

Sarcopenia is an age-related skeletal muscle atrophy. Exercise is effective in improving sarcopenia via two mechanisms: activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SCs) and stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. In contrast, most nutritional approaches for improving sarcopenia focus mainly on muscle protein synthesis, and little is known about SC activation. Here, we investigated the effect of lemon myrtle extract (LM) on SC activation both in vitro and in vivo. Primary SCs or myoblast cell lines were treated with LM or its derived compounds, and incorporation of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine, an indicator of cell cycle progression, was detected by immunocytochemistry. We found that LM significantly activated SCs (p < 0.05), but not myoblasts. We also identified casuarinin, an ellagitannin, as the active compound in LM involved in SC activation. The structure−activity relationship analysis showed that rather than the structure of each functional group of casuarinin, its overall structure is crucial for SC activation. Furthermore, SC activation by LM and casuarinin was associated with upregulation of interleukin-6 mRNA expression, which is essential for SC activation and proliferation. Finally, oral administration of LM or casuarinin to rats showed significant activation of SCs in skeletal muscle (p < 0.05), suggesting that LM and casuarinin may serve as novel nutritional interventions for improving sarcopenia through activating SCs.

Glutamine supplementation stimulates cell proliferation in skeletal muscle and cultivated myogenic cells of low birth weight piglets.

Muscle growth of low birth weight (LBW) piglets may be improved with adapted nutrition. This study elucidated effects of glutamine (Gln) supplementation on the cellular muscle development of LBW and normal birth weight (NBW) piglets. Male piglets (n = 144) were either supplemented with 1 g Gln/kg body weight or an isonitrogeneous amount of alanine (Ala) between postnatal day 1 and 12 (dpn). Twelve piglets per group were slaughtered at 5, 12 and 26 dpn, one hour after injection with Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 12 mg/kg). Muscle samples were collected and myogenic cells were isolated and cultivated. Expression of muscle growth related genes was quantified with qPCR. Proliferating, BrdU-positive cells in muscle sections were detected with immunohistochemistry indicating different cell types and decreasing proliferation with age. More proliferation was observed in muscle tissue of LBW-GLN than LBW-ALA piglets at 5 dpn, but there was no clear effect of supplementation on related gene expression. Cell culture experiments indicated that Gln could promote cell proliferation in a dose dependent manner, but expression of myogenesis regulatory genes was not altered. Overall, Gln supplementation stimulated cell proliferation in muscle tissue and in vitro in myogenic cell culture, whereas muscle growth regulatory genes were barely altered.

mTORC1-Mediated Satellite Cell Differentiation Is Required for Lysine-Induced Skeletal Muscle Growth.

Skeletal muscle is the primary source of protein for humans. However, the mechanisms of skeletal muscle growth, such as nutrition control, remain unknown. Moreover, the function of lysine (Lys) in controling skeletal muscle growth has gradually demonstrated that Lys is not only substantial for protein synthesis but also a signaling molecule for satellite cell (SC) activation. In the current work, the number of differentiated SCs in the longissimus thoracis muscle and the fusion index of SCs were both governed by Lys supplementation. Meanwhile, the myogenic regulatory factors and the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway showed the same tendencies of changes as the differentiation of SCs. After Lys was resupplemented with rapamycin, the mTORC1 pathway was inhibited and the differentiation ability of SCs was suppressed. Collectively, the results showed that the mTORC1-pathway-mediated SC differentiation was required for Lys-promoted skeletal muscle growth.

mTORC1 Mediates Lysine-Induced Satellite Cell Activation to Promote Skeletal Muscle Growth.

As the first limiting amino acid, lysine (Lys) has been thought to promote muscle fiber hypertrophy by increasing protein synthesis. However, the functions of Lys seem far more complex than that. Despite the fact that satellite cells (SCs) play an important role in skeletal muscle growth, the communication between Lys and SCs remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether SCs participate directly in Lys-induced skeletal muscle growth and whether the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway was activated both in vivo and in vitro to mediate SC functions in response to Lys supplementation. Subsequently, the skeletal muscle growth of piglets was controlled by dietary Lys supplementation. Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) analysis showed activated SCs were required for longissimus dorsi muscle growth, and this effect was accompanied by mTORC1 pathway upregulation. Furthermore, SC proliferation was governed by medium Lys concentrations, and the mTORC1 pathway was significantly enhanced in vitro. After verifying that rapamycin inhibits the mTORC1 pathway and suppresses SC proliferation, we conclude that Lys is not only a molecular building block for protein synthesis but also a signal that activates SCs to manipulate muscle growth via the mTORC1 pathway.

Massage increases satellite cell number independent of the age-associated alterations in sarcolemma permeability.

Massage is a widely accepted manual therapy used to modulate the inflammatory response of muscle and restore function, but prolonged compression of muscle potentially causes overt injury and damage to muscle fibers. Therefore, a balance exists between the positive effects of massage and the induction of mechanical damage and injury. In addition, skeletal muscle of aged individuals displays increased stiffness, and therefore, the response to massage is likely different compared with young. We hypothesized that the aged skeletal muscle exhibits increased sarcolemmal permeability when subjected to massage compared with young skeletal muscle. Male Brown Norway/F344 rats, 10 and 30 months of age, were each divided into control, non-massaged (n = 8) and massaged (n = 8) groups. The right gastrocnemius muscle received one bout of cyclic compressive loading for 30 min at 4.5 N as a massage-mimetic. Muscles were dissected and frozen 24 h after massage. Alterations in sarcolemma permeability were quantified by measuring the level of intracellular IgG within the muscle fibers. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine IgG inside fibers and Pax7+ cell number as an indicator of stem cell abundance. Average IgG intensity was not different between control and massaged animals at either age. However, a significant shift to the right of the density histogram indicated that massaged animals had more fibers with higher IgG intensity than control at 10 months. In addition, Pax7+ cell number was significantly elevated in massaged muscles compared with control at both ages. One bout of massage did not induce overt muscle injury, but facilitated membrane permeability, which was associated with an increase in satellite cell number. Data suggest that the load applied here, which was previously shown to induce immunomodulatory changes, does not induce overt muscle injury in young and old muscles but may result in muscle remodeling. Funded by NIH grant AG042699 and AT009268.

Preclinical characterization of the JAK/STAT inhibitor SGI-1252 on skeletal muscle function, morphology, and satellite cell content.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have highlighted the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in the regulation of muscle satellite cell behavior. Herein we report preclinical studies designed to characterize the effects of a novel JAK/STAT inhibitor on plantar flexor skeletal muscle function, morphology, and satellite cell content. METHODS: The compound, SGI-1252, was administered orally (400mg/kg) in a 10% dextrose solution to wild type mice (n = 6) 3 times per week for 8 weeks. A control group (n = 6) received only the dextrose solution. RESULTS: SGI-1252 was well tolerated, as animals displayed similar weight gain over the 8-week treatment period. Following treatment, fatigue in the gastrocnemius-soleus-plantaris complex was greater in the SGI-1252 mice during a 300 second tetanic contraction bout (p = 0.035), though both the rate of fatigue and maximal force production were similar. SGI-1252 treated mice had increased type II myofiber cross-sectional area (1434.8 ± 225.4 vs 1754.7 ± 138.5 µm2), along with an increase in wet muscle mass (125.45 ± 5.46 vs 139.6 ± 12.34 mg, p = 0.032) of the gastrocnemius relative to vehicle treated mice. SGI-1252 treatment reduced gastrocnemius STAT3 phosphorylation 53% (94.79 ± 45.9 vs 44.5 ± 6.1 MFI) and significantly increased the concentration of Pax7+ satellite cells (2589.2 ± 105.5 vs 2859.4 ± 177.5 SC/mm3) in the gastrocnemius. SGI-1252 treatment suppressed MyoD (p = 0.013) and Myogenin (p<0.0001) expression in human primary myoblasts, resulting in reduced myogenic differentiation (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Orally delivered SGI-1252 was well tolerated, attenuates skeletal muscle STAT3 activity, and increases satellite cell content in mouse gastrocnemius muscle, likely by inhibiting myogenic progression.

Potential Roles of n-3 PUFAs during Skeletal Muscle Growth and Regeneration.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), which are commonly found in fish oil supplements, are known to possess anti-inflammatory properties and more recently alter skeletal muscle function. In this review, we discuss novel findings related to how n-3 PUFAs modulate molecular signaling responsible for growth and hypertrophy as well as the activity of muscle stem cells. Muscle stem cells commonly known as satellite cells, are primarily responsible for driving the skeletal muscle repair process to potentially damaging stimuli, such as mechanical stress elicited by exercise contraction. To date, there is a paucity of human investigations related to the effects of n-3 PUFAs on satellite cell content and activity. Based on current in vitro investigations, this review focuses on novel mechanisms linking n-3 PUFA's to satellite cell activity and how they may improve muscle repair. Understanding the role of n-3 PUFAs during muscle growth and regeneration in association with exercise could lead to the development of novel supplementation strategies that increase muscle mass and strength, therefore possibly reducing the burden of muscle wasting with age.

Hyperbaric oxygen reduces inflammation, oxygenates injured muscle, and regenerates skeletal muscle via macrophage and satellite cell activation.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO) promotes rapid recovery from soft tissue injuries. However, the healing mechanism is unclear. Here we assessed the effects of HBO on contused calf muscles in a rat skeletal muscle injury model. An experimental HBO chamber was developed and rats were treated with 100% oxygen, 2.5 atmospheres absolute for 2 h/day after injury. HBO reduced early lower limb volume and muscle wet weight in contused muscles, and promoted muscle isometric strength 7 days after injury. HBO suppressed the elevation of circulating macrophages in the acute phase and then accelerated macrophage invasion into the contused muscle. This environment also increased the number of proliferating and differentiating satellite cells and the amount of regenerated muscle fibers. In the early phase after injury, HBO stimulated the IL-6/STAT3 pathway in contused muscles. Our results demonstrate that HBO has a dual role in decreasing inflammation and accelerating myogenesis in muscle contusion injuries.

Dietary resveratrol confers apoptotic resistance to oxidative stress in myoblasts.

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to muscle cell death in aging and disuse. We have previously found that resveratrol can reduce oxidative stress in response to aging and hindlimb unloading in rodents in vivo, but it was not known if resveratrol would protect muscle stem cells during repair or regeneration when oxidative stress is high. To test the protective role of resveratrol on muscle stem cells directly, we treated the C2C12 mouse myoblast cell line with moderate (100 µM) or very high (1 mM) levels of H2O2 in the presence or absence of resveratrol. The p21 promoter activity declined in myoblasts in response to high ROS, and this was accompanied a greater nuclear to cytoplasmic translocation of p21 in a dose-dependent matter in myoblasts as compared to myotubes. Apoptosis, as indicated by TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling, was greater in C2C12 myoblasts as compared to myotubes (P<.05) after treatment with H2O2. Caspase-9, -8 and -3 activities were elevated significantly (P<.05) in myoblasts treated with H2O2. Myoblasts were more susceptible to ROS-induced oxidative stress than myotubes. We treated C2C12 myoblasts with 50 µM of resveratrol for periods up to 48 h to determine if myoblasts could be rescued from high-ROS-induced apoptosis by resveratrol. Resveratrol reduced the apoptotic index and significantly reduced the ROS-induced caspase-9, -8 and -3 activity in myoblasts. Furthermore, Bcl-2 and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were partially rescued in myoblasts by resveratrol treatment. Similarly, muscle stem cells isolated from mouse skeletal muscles showed reduced Sirt1 protein abundance with H2O2 treatment, but this could be reversed by resveratrol. Reduced apoptotic susceptibility in myoblasts as compared to myotubes to ROS is regulated, at least in part, by enhanced p21 promoter activity and nuclear p21 location in myotubes. Resveratrol confers further protection against ROS by improving Sirt1 levels and increasing antioxidant production, which reduces mitochondrial associated apoptotic signaling, and cell death in myoblasts.

Creatine Supplementation and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism for Building Muscle Mass- Review of the Potential Mechanisms of Action.

Creatine, a very popular supplement among athletic populations, is of growing interest for clinical applications. Since over 90% of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, the effect of creatine supplementation on muscle metabolism is a widely studied area. While numerous studies over the past few decades have shown that creatine supplementation has many favorable effects on skeletal muscle physiology and metabolism, including enhancing muscle mass (growth/hypertrophy); the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. This report reviews studies addressing the mechanisms of action of creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle growth/hypertrophy. Early research proposed that the osmotic effect of creatine supplementation serves as a cellular stressor (osmosensing) that acts as an anabolic stimulus for protein synthesis signal pathways. Other reports indicated that creatine directly affects muscle protein synthesis via modulations of components in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Creatine may also directly affect the myogenic process (formation of muscle tissue), by altering secretions of myokines, such as myostatin and insulin-like growth factor-1, and expressions of myogenic regulatory factors, resulting in enhanced satellite cells mitotic activities and differentiation into myofiber. Overall, there is still no clear understanding of the mechanisms of action regarding how creatine affects muscle mass/growth, but current evidence suggests it may exert its effects through multiple approaches, with converging impacts on protein synthesis and myogenesis.

Postexercise essential amino acid supplementation amplifies skeletal muscle satellite cell proliferation in older men 24 hours postexercise.

Aged skeletal muscle has an attenuated and delayed ability to proliferate satellite cells in response to resistance exercise. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway is a focal point for cell growth, however, the effect of postexercise mTORC1 activation on human skeletal muscle satellite cell (SC) proliferation is unknown. To test the proliferative capacity of skeletal muscle SC in aging muscle to a potent mTORC1 activator (i.e., EAA; essential amino acids) we recruited older (~72y) men to conduct leg resistance exercise (8setsx10reps) without (-EAA; n = 8) and with (+EAA: n = 11) ingestion of 10 g of EAA 1 h postexercise. Muscle biopsies were taken before exercise (Pre) and 24 h postexercise (Post) for assessment of expression and fiber type-specific Pax7+ SC, Ki67+Pax7+ SC and MyoD+ SC -EAA did not show an increase in Pax7+ satellite cells at Post(P > 0.82). Although statistical significance for an increase in Pax7 +  SC at 24 h post-RE was not observed in +EAA versus -EAA, we observed trends for a treatment difference (P < 0.1). When examining the change from Pre to Post trends were demonstrated (#/myofiber: P = 0.076; and %/myonuclei: P = 0.065) for a greater increase in +EAA versus -EAA Notably, we found an increase SC proliferation in +EAA, but not -EAA with increase in Ki67+ SC and MyoD+ cells (P < 0.05). Ki67+ SC also exhibited a significant group difference Post (P < 0.010). Pax7+ SC in fast twitch myofibers did not change and were not different between groups (P > 0.10). CDK2, MEF2C, RB1 mRNA only increased in +EAA (P < 0.05). Acute muscle satellite cell proliferative capacity may be partially rescued with postexercise EAA ingestion in older men.

Effects of omega-3 on matrix metalloproteinase-9, myoblast transplantation and satellite cell activation in dystrophin-deficient muscle fibers.

In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), lack of dystrophin leads to progressive muscle degeneration, with DMD patients suffering from cardiorespiratory failure. Cell therapy is an alternative to life-long corticoid therapy. Satellite cells, the stem cells of skeletal muscles, do not completely compensate for the muscle damage in dystrophic muscles. Elevated levels of proinflammatory and profibrotic factors, such as metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), impair muscle regeneration, leading to extensive fibrosis and poor results with myoblast transplantation therapies. Omega-3 is an anti-inflammatory drug that protects against muscle degeneration in the mdx mouse model of DMD. In the present study, we test our hypothesis that omega-3 affects MMP-9 and thereby benefits muscle regeneration and myoblast transplantation in the mdx mouse. We observe that omega-3 reduces MMP-9 gene expression and improves myoblast engraftment, satellite cell activation, and muscle regeneration by mechanisms involving, at least in part, the regulation of macrophages, as shown here with the fluorescence-activated cell sorting technique. The present study demonstrates the benefits of omega-3 on satellite cell survival and muscle regeneration, further supporting its use in clinical trials and cell therapies in DMD.

Phenolic Elderberry Extracts, Anthocyanins, Procyanidins, and Metabolites Influence Glucose and Fatty Acid Uptake in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells.

Uptake of glucose and fatty acids in skeletal muscle is of interest for type 2 diabetes treatment. The aim was to study glucose and fatty acid uptake in skeletal muscle cells, antioxidant effects, and inhibition of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes by elderberries. Enhanced glucose and oleic acid uptake in human skeletal muscle cells were observed after treatment with phenolic elderberry extracts, anthocyanins, procyanidins, and their metabolites. The 96% EtOH and the acidified MeOH extracts were highly active. Of the isolated substances, cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside showed highest stimulation of uptake. Phloroglucinol aldehyde was most active among the metabolites. Isolated anthocyanins and procyanidins are strong radical scavengers and are good inhibitors of 15-lipoxygenase and moderate inhibitors of xanthine oxidase. As α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors, they are considerably better than the positive control acarbose. The antidiabetic property of elderberry phenolics increases the nutritional value of this plant and indicates potential as functional food against diabetes.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate stimulates myogenic differentiation through TAZ activation.

Muscle loss is a typical process of aging. Green tea consumption is known to slow down the progress of aging. Their underlying mechanisms, however, remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenolic compound of green tea, on myogenic differentiation and found that EGCG significantly increases myogenic differentiation. After EGCG treatment, the expression of myogenic marker genes, such as myosin heavy chain, are increased through activation of TAZ, a transcriptional coactivator with a PDZ-binding motif. TAZ-knockdown does not stimulate EGCG-induced myogenic differentiation. EGCG facilitates the interaction between TAZ and MyoD, which stimulates MyoD-mediated gene transcription. EGCG induces nuclear localization of TAZ through the dephosphorylation of TAZ at its Ser89 residue, which relieves 14-3-3 binding in the cytosol. Interestingly, inactivation of Lats kinase is observed after EGCG treatment, which is responsible for the production of dephosphorylated TAZ. Together, these results suggest that EGCG induces myogenic differentiation through TAZ, suggesting that TAZ plays an important role in EGCG induced muscle regeneration.

Characterisation of equine satellite cell transcriptomic profile response to ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB).

ß-Hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a popular ergogenic aid used by human athletes and as a supplement to sport horses, because of its ability to aid muscle recovery, improve performance and body composition. Recent findings suggest that HMB may stimulate satellite cells and affect expressions of genes regulating skeletal muscle cell growth. Despite the scientific data showing benefits of HMB supplementation in horses, no previous study has explained the mechanism of action of HMB in this species. The aim of this study was to reveal the molecular background of HMB action on equine skeletal muscle by investigating the transcriptomic profile changes induced by HMB in equine satellite cells in vitro. Upon isolation from the semitendinosus muscle, equine satellite cells were cultured until the 2nd day of differentiation. Differentiating cells were incubated with HMB for 24 h. Total cellular RNA was isolated, amplified, labelled and hybridised to microarray slides. Microarray data validation was performed with real-time quantitative PCR. HMB induced differential expressions of 361 genes. Functional analysis revealed that the main biological processes influenced by HMB in equine satellite cells were related to muscle organ development, protein metabolism, energy homoeostasis and lipid metabolism. In conclusion, this study demonstrated for the first time that HMB has the potential to influence equine satellite cells by controlling global gene expression. Genes and biological processes targeted by HMB in equine satellite cells may support HMB utility in improving growth and regeneration of equine skeletal muscle; however, the overall role of HMB in horses remains equivocal and requires further proteomic, biochemical and pharmacokinetic studies.

Enteral ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate supplementation increases protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs.

Many low-birth weight infants are at risk for poor growth due to an inability to achieve adequate protein intake. Administration of the amino acid leucine stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonates. To determine the effects of enteral supplementation of the leucine metabolite ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) on protein synthesis and the regulation of translation initiation and degradation pathways, overnight-fasted neonatal pigs were studied immediately (F) or fed one of five diets for 24 h: low-protein (LP), high-protein (HP), or LP diet supplemented with 4 (HMB4), 40 (HMB40), or 80 (HMB80) µmol HMB·kg body wt(-1)·day(-1) Cell replication was assessed from nuclear incorporation of BrdU in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle and jejunum crypt cells. Protein synthesis rates in LD, gastrocnemius, rhomboideus, and diaphragm muscles, lung, and brain were greater in HMB80 and HP and in brain were greater in HMB40 compared with LP and F groups. Formation of the eIF4E·eIF4G complex and S6K1 and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation in LD, gastrocnemius, and rhomboideus muscles were greater in HMB80 and HP than in LP and F groups. Phosphorylation of eIF2α and eEF2 and expression of SNAT2, LAT1, MuRF1, atrogin-1, and LC3-II were unchanged. Numbers of BrdU-positive myonuclei in the LD were greater in HMB80 and HP than in the LP and F groups; there were no differences in jejunum. The results suggest that enteral supplementation with HMB increases skeletal muscle protein anabolism in neonates by stimulation of protein synthesis and satellite cell proliferation.

Specific Direct Small Molecule p300/ß-Catenin Antagonists Maintain Stem Cell Potency.

Despite their high degree of identity and even higher homology, the two Kat3 transcriptional coactivators, CBP and p300, have distinct functions, particularly within the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling cascade. ICG-001, by directly binding to CBP but not p300, inhibits CBP/ß-catenin transcription and has served as an invaluable chemical genomic tool to dissect the Wnt signaling cascade and the divergent roles of these two coactivators. However, to date no direct antagonist of the p300/ß-catenin interaction has been reported. We now report the identification and validation of the first highly specific, direct p300/ß-catenin antagonists, YH249/250 and their ability to maintain pluripotency in ESC.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture Serum on Proliferation of Cultured Multifidus Muscle Satellite Cells and Expression of Pax-7, MyoD and p-Akt].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) serum on proliferation of multifidus muscle sa-tellite cells (SCs) and expression of paired box transcription factor Pax-7, MyoD and protein kinase B (PKB or Akt) proteins of SCs, so as to explore its underlying mechanism in promoting repair of multifidus muscles. METHODS: Thirty-two SD rats were randomly assigned to control, model, EA-Weizhong (BL 40) and EA-Shenshu (BL 23) groups. The multifidus muscle injury (MFMI) model was established by injection of 0.5% bupivacaine hydrochloride (400 µL) into the bilateral L4-L5 paravertebral muscles (4 points, 100 µL for each point). EA stimulation was separately applied to bilateral BL 40 and BL 23 for 20 min, once daily, 4 days altogether. Blood samples of the abdominal artery of rats in the above mentioned 4 groups were separately collected for extracting serum, followed by deactivation and filtration, and then were respectively applied to the Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Media (DMEM) culturing each multifidus muscle SCs of the normal serum, model serum, EA-BL 40 serum and EA-BL 40 serum+LY 294002 (an inhibitor of phosphotidylinsitol-3-kinase, PI 3 K), EA-BL 23 serum and EA-BL 23 serum+LY 294002 groups for ana-lyzing the impact of EA serum on the proliferation state of SCs by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) methods, respectively. The expression of Pax-7, MyoD and phosphorylated (p)-Akt proteins of the cultured SCs was detected for characterization of SCs by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the normal serum group, the proliferation levels (detected by both CCK-8- and EdU) and the expression levels of MyoD and p-Akt proteins of SCs in the model serum group were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while in comparison with the model serum group, the proliferation and expression levels of MyoD and p-Akt proteins of SCs were further significantly increased in both EA-BL 23 and EA-BL 40 serum groups (P<0.01, P<0.05), but not in the EA-BL 40 serum+LY 294002 and EA-BL 23 serum+LY 294002 groups (P>0.05), suggesting an involvement of PI 3 K in the proliferation of SCs. No marked differences were found in the proliferation levels between the EA-BL 23 and EA-BL 40 serum groups and in the expression levels of Pax-7 proteins among the 6 serum groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both EA-BL 40 and EA-BL 23 serum can promote proliferation of multifidus muscle SCs, which may contribute to the effect of EA intervention in promoting repair of the injured muscle, partially by way of Akt/PI 3 K signaling.