Does Taking a Break Matter-Adaptations in Muscle Strength and Size Between Continuous and Periodic Resistance Training.

We aimed to compare the effects of periodic resistance training (RT) and continuous RT on muscle strength and size. Fifty-five healthy, untrained participants (age 32 ± 5 years) were randomized to periodic (PRT, n = 20 completed the study, 45% females) or continuous (CRT, n = 22 completed the study, 45% females) groups. PRT completed a 10-week RT, a 10-week detraining, and a second identical 10-week RT. CRT began with a 10-week non-RT, followed by a 20-week RT. RT included twice-weekly supervised whole-body RT sessions. Leg press (LP) and biceps curl (BC) one repetition maximum (1RM), countermovement jump (CMJ) height, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) of vastus lateralis (VL), and biceps brachii (BB) using ultrasound imaging were measured twice at the beginning and every fifth week during the intervention. Both groups increased (p < 0.001) 1RM in LP and BC, CSA in VL and BB, and CMJ height with no differences between the groups. In PRT, 1RM in LP and BC, CSA in VL and BB, and CMJ height decreased during detraining (p < 0.05). During the first 5 weeks of retraining in PRT, increases in LP 1RM, and VL and BB CSA were greater than in CRT during Weeks 10-15 of their CRT (p < 0.01). PRT and CTR ended up in similar postintervention adaptations, as decreased muscle strength and size during detraining in PRT regained rapidly during retraining. Our results therefore suggest that trainees should not be too concerned about occasional short-term training breaks in their daily lives when it comes to lifelong strength training. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05553769.

Changes in hormonal profiles during competition preparation in physique athletes.

PURPOSE: Physique athletes engage in rigorous competition preparation involving intense energy restriction and physical training to enhance muscle definition. This study investigates hormonal changes and their physiological and performance impacts during such preparation. METHODS: Participants included female (10 competing (COMP) and 10 non-dieting controls (CTRL)) and male (13 COMP and 10 CTRL) physique athletes. COMP participants were tested 23 weeks before (PRE), one week before (MID), and 23 weeks after the competition (POST). Non-dieting CTRL participants were tested at similar intervals. Measurements included body composition (DXA), muscle cross-sectional area (ultrasound), energy availability (EA) derived by subtracting exercise energy expenditure (EEE) from energy intake (EI) and dividing by fat-free mass (FFM), muscle strength, and various serum hormone concentrations (ACTH, cortisol, estradiol, FSH, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, insulin, and free and total testosterone and SHBG). RESULTS: During the diet, EA (p < 0.001), IGF-1 (p < 0.001), IGFBP-3 (p < 0.01), and absolute muscle strength (p < 0.01-0.001) decreased significantly in both sexes in COMP. Decreases in IGF-1 were also associated with higher loss in FFM. In males, testosterone (p < 0.01) and free testosterone (p < 0.05) decreased, while SHBG (p < 0.001) and cortisol (p < 0.05) increased. Insulin decreased significantly only in males (p < 0.001). Mood disturbances, particularly increased fatigue in males (p < 0.05), highlighted the psychological strain of competition preparation. All these changes were restored by increased EA during the post-competition recovery period. CONCLUSION: Significant reductions in IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 during competition preparation may serve as biomarkers for monitoring physiological stress. This study offers valuable insights into hormonal changes, muscle strength, and mood state during energy-restricted intense training.

Skeletal muscle hypertrophy rewires glucose metabolism: An experimental investigation and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Proliferating cancer cells shift their metabolism towards glycolysis, even in the presence of oxygen, to especially generate glycolytic intermediates as substrates for anabolic reactions. We hypothesize that a similar metabolic remodelling occurs during skeletal muscle hypertrophy. METHODS: We used mass spectrometry in hypertrophying C2C12 myotubes in vitro and plantaris mouse muscle in vivo and assessed metabolomic changes and the incorporation of the [U-13C6]glucose tracer. We performed enzyme inhibition of the key serine synthesis pathway enzyme phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Phgdh) for further mechanistic analysis and conducted a systematic review to align any changes in metabolomics during muscle growth with published findings. Finally, the UK Biobank was used to link the findings to population level. RESULTS: The metabolomics analysis in myotubes revealed insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-induced altered metabolite concentrations in anabolic pathways such as pentose phosphate (ribose-5-phosphate/ribulose-5-phosphate: +40%; P = 0.01) and serine synthesis pathway (serine: -36.8%; P = 0.009). Like the hypertrophy stimulation with IGF-1 in myotubes in vitro, the concentration of the dipeptide l-carnosine was decreased by 26.6% (P = 0.001) during skeletal muscle growth in vivo. However, phosphorylated sugar (glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate or glucose-1-phosphate) decreased by 32.2% (P = 0.004) in the overloaded muscle in vivo while increasing in the IGF-1-stimulated myotubes in vitro. The systematic review revealed that 10 metabolites linked to muscle hypertrophy were directly associated with glycolysis and its interconnected anabolic pathways. We demonstrated that labelled carbon from [U-13C6]glucose is increasingly incorporated by ~13% (P = 0.001) into the non-essential amino acids in hypertrophying myotubes, which is accompanied by an increased depletion of media serine (P = 0.006). The inhibition of Phgdh suppressed muscle protein synthesis in growing myotubes by 58.1% (P < 0.001), highlighting the importance of the serine synthesis pathway for maintaining muscle size. Utilizing data from the UK Biobank (n = 450 243), we then discerned genetic variations linked to the serine synthesis pathway (PHGDH and PSPH) and to its downstream enzyme (SHMT1), revealing their association with appendicular lean mass in humans (P < 5.0e-8). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle mass will help in developing effective treatments for muscle weakness. Our results provide evidence for the metabolic rewiring of glycolytic intermediates into anabolic pathways during muscle growth, such as in serine synthesis.

Interaction of the C2C12 myotube contractions and glucose availability on transcriptome and extracellular vesicle microRNAs.

Exercise-like electrical pulse stimulation (EL-EPS) of myotubes mimics many key physiological changes induced by in vivo exercise. Besides enabling intracellular research, EL-EPS allows to study secreted factors, including muscle-specific microRNAs (myomiRs) carried in extracellular vesicles (EVs). These factors can participate in contraction-induced intercellular cross talk and may mediate the health benefits of exercise. However, the current knowledge of these responses, especially under variable nutritional conditions, is limited. We investigated the effects of EL-EPS on C2C12 myotube transcriptome in high- and low-glucose conditions by messenger RNA sequencing, while the expression of EV-carried miRNAs was analyzed by small RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR. We show that higher glucose availability augmented contraction-induced transcriptional changes and that the majority of the differentially expressed genes were upregulated. Furthermore, based on the pathway analyses, processes related to contractility and cytokine/inflammatory responses were upregulated. In addition, we report that EL-EPS increased packing of miR-1-3p into EVs independent of glucose availability. Together our findings suggest that in vitro EL-EPS is a usable tool not only to study contraction-induced intracellular mechanisms but also extracellular responses. The distinct transcriptional changes observed under variable nutritional conditions emphasize the importance of careful consideration of media composition in future exercise-mimicking studies.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study examined for the first time the effects of exercise-like electrical pulse stimulation administered under distinct nutritional conditions on 1) the transcriptome of the C2C12 myotubes and 2) their media containing extracellular vesicle-carried microRNAs. We report that higher glucose availability augmented transcriptional responses related especially to contractility and cytokine/inflammatory pathways. Agreeing with in vivo studies, we show that the packing of exercise-responsive miR-1-3p was increased in the extracellular vesicles in response to myotube contractions.

Serine synthesis pathway enzyme PHGDH is critical for muscle cell biomass, anabolic metabolism, and mTORC1 signaling.

Cells use glycolytic intermediates for anabolism, e.g., via the serine synthesis and pentose phosphate pathways. However, we still understand poorly how these metabolic pathways contribute to skeletal muscle cell biomass generation. The first aim of this study was therefore to identify enzymes that limit protein synthesis, myotube size, and proliferation in skeletal muscle cells. We inhibited key enzymes of glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the serine synthesis pathway to evaluate their importance in C2C12 myotube protein synthesis. Based on the results of this first screen, we then focused on the serine synthesis pathway enzyme phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH). We used two different PHGDH inhibitors and mouse C2C12 and human primary muscle cells to study the importance and function of PHGDH. Both myoblasts and myotubes incorporated glucose-derived carbon into proteins, RNA, and lipids, and we showed that PHGDH is essential in these processes. PHGDH inhibition decreased protein synthesis, myotube size, and myoblast proliferation without cytotoxic effects. The decreased protein synthesis in response to PHGDH inhibition appears to occur mainly mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependently, as was evident from experiments with insulin-like growth factor 1 and rapamycin. Further metabolomics analyses revealed that PHGDH inhibition accelerated glycolysis and altered amino acid, nucleotide, and lipid metabolism. Finally, we found that supplementing an antioxidant and redox modulator, N-acetylcysteine, partially rescued the decreased protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling during PHGDH inhibition. The data suggest that PHGDH activity is critical for skeletal muscle cell biomass generation from glucose and that it regulates protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The use of glycolytic intermediates for anabolism was demonstrated in both myoblasts and myotubes, which incorporate glucose-derived carbon into proteins, RNA, and lipids. We identify phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) as a critical enzyme in those processes and also for muscle cell hypertrophy, proliferation, protein synthesis, and mTORC1 signaling. Our results thus suggest that PHGDH in skeletal muscle is more than just a serine-synthesizing enzyme.

Age But Not Menopausal Status Is Linked to Lower Resting Energy Expenditure.

CONTEXT: It remains uncertain whether aging before late adulthood and menopause are associated with fat-free mass and fat mass-adjusted resting energy expenditure (REEadj). OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether REEadj differs between middle-aged and younger women and between middle-aged women with different menopausal statuses. We repeated the age group comparison between middle-aged mothers and their daughters to partially control for genotype. We also explored whether serum estradiol and FSH concentrations explain REEadj in midlife. METHODS: We divided 120 women, including 16 mother-daughter pairs, into age groups; group I (n = 26) consisted of participants aged 17 to 21, group II (n = 35) of those aged 22 to 38, and group III (n = 59) of those aged 41 to 58 years. The women in group III were further categorized as pre- or perimenopausal (n = 19), postmenopausal (n = 30), or postmenopausal hormone therapy users (n = 10). REE was assessed using indirect calorimetry, body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and hormones using immunoassays. RESULTS: The REEadj of group I was 126 kcal/day [95% confidence interval (CI): 93-160] higher than that of group III, and the REEadj of group II was 88 kcal/day (95% CI: 49-127) higher. Furthermore, daughters had a 100 kcal/day (95% CI: 63-138 kcal/day) higher REEadj than their middle-aged mothers (all P < .001). In group III, REEadj was not lower in postmenopausal women and did not vary by sex hormone concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that REEadj declines with age in women before late adulthood, also when controlling partially for genetic background, and that menopause may not contribute to this decline.

NAD+ repletion with niacin counteracts cancer cachexia.

Cachexia is a debilitating wasting syndrome and highly prevalent comorbidity in cancer patients. It manifests especially with energy and mitochondrial metabolism aberrations that promote tissue wasting. We recently identified nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) loss to associate with muscle mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer hosts. In this study we confirm that depletion of NAD+ and downregulation of Nrk2, an NAD+ biosynthetic enzyme, are common features of severe cachexia in different mouse models. Testing NAD+ repletion therapy in cachectic mice reveals that NAD+ precursor, vitamin B3 niacin, efficiently corrects tissue NAD+ levels, improves mitochondrial metabolism and ameliorates cancer- and chemotherapy-induced cachexia. In a clinical setting, we show that muscle NRK2 is downregulated in cancer patients. The low expression of NRK2 correlates with metabolic abnormalities underscoring the significance of NAD+ in the pathophysiology of human cancer cachexia. Overall, our results propose NAD+ metabolism as a therapy target for cachectic cancer patients.

Effects of Long-Term Physical Activity and BCAA Availability on the Subcellular Associations between Intramyocellular Lipids, Perilipins and PGC-1α.

Cellular skeletal muscle lipid metabolism is of paramount importance for metabolic health, specifically through its connection to branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) metabolism and through its modulation by exercise. In this study, we aimed at better understanding intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) and their related key proteins in response to physical activity and BCAA deprivation. By means of confocal microscopy, we examined IMCL and the lipid droplet coating proteins PLIN2 and PLIN5 in human twin pairs discordant for physical activity. Additionally, in order to study IMCLs, PLINs and their association to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) in cytosolic and nuclear pools, we mimicked exercise-induced contractions in C2C12 myotubes by electrical pulse stimulation (EPS), with or without BCAA deprivation. The life-long physically active twins displayed an increased IMCL signal in type I fibers when compared to their inactive twin pair. Moreover, the inactive twins showed a decreased association between PLIN2 and IMCL. Similarly, in the C2C12 cell line, PLIN2 dissociated from IMCL when myotubes were deprived of BCAA, especially when contracting. In addition, in myotubes, EPS led to an increase in nuclear PLIN5 signal and its associations with IMCL and PGC-1α. This study demonstrates how physical activity and BCAA availability affects IMCL and their associated proteins, providing further and novel evidence for the link between the BCAA, energy and lipid metabolisms.

Dietary Intake, Serum Hormone Concentrations, Amenorrhea and Bone Mineral Density of Physique Athletes and Active Gym Enthusiasts.

As the diet, hormones, amenorrhea, and bone mineral density (BMD) of physique athletes (PA) and gym enthusiasts (GE) are little-explored, we studied those in 69 females (50 PA, 19 GE) and 20 males (11 PA, 9 GE). Energy availability (EA, kcal·kgFFM−1·d−1 in DXA) in female and male PA was ~41.3 and ~37.2, and in GE ~39.4 and ~35.3, respectively. Low EA (LEA) was found in 10% and 26% of female PA and GE, respectively, and in 11% of male GE. In PA, daily protein intake (g/kg body mass) was ~2.9−3.0, whereas carbohydrate and fat intakes were ~3.6−4.3 and ~0.8−1.0, respectively. PA had higher protein and carbohydrate and lower fat intakes than GE (p < 0.05). Estradiol, testosterone, IGF-1, insulin, leptin, TSH, T4, T3, cortisol, or BMD did not differ between PA and GE. Serum IGF-1 and leptin were explained 6% and 7%, respectively, by EA. In non-users of hormonal contraceptives, amenorrhea was found only in PA (27%) and was associated with lower fat percentage, but not EA, BMD, or hormones. In conclusion, off-season dietary intakes, hormone levels, and BMD meet the recommendations in most of the PA and GE. Maintaining too-low body fat during the off-season may predispose to menstrual disturbances.

Weight loss induces changes in adaptive thermogenesis in female and male physique athletes.

Physique athletes lose substantial weight preparing for competitions, potentially altering systemic metabolism. We investigated sex differences in body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), and appetite-regulating and thyroid hormone changes during a competition preparation among drug-free physique athletes. The participants were female (10 competing (COMP) and 10 nondieting controls (CTRL)) and male (13 COMP and 10 CTRL) physique athletes. COMP were tested before they started their diet 23 weeks before competing (PRE), during their diet one week before competing (MID), and 23 weeks after competing (POST), whereas CTRL were tested at similar intervals but did not diet. Measurements included body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, muscle size, and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFA) by ultrasound, REE by indirect calorimetry, circulating ghrelin, leptin T3, and T4 hormone analysis. Fat mass (FM) and SFA decreased in both sexes (p < 0.001), while males (p < 0.001) lost more lean mass (LM) than females (p < 0.05). Weight loss, decreased energy intake, and increased aerobic exercise (p < 0.05) led to decreased LM- and FM-adjusted REE (p < 0.05), reflecting metabolic adaptation. Absolute leptin levels decreased in both sexes (p < 0.001) but more among females (p < 0.001) due to higher baseline leptin levels. These changes occurred with similar decreases in T3 (p < 0.001) and resting heart rate (p < 0.01) in both sexes. CTRL, who were former or upcoming physique athletes, showed no systematic changes in any measured variables. In conclusion, while dieting, female and male physique athletes experience REE and hormonal changes leading to adaptive thermogenesis. However, responses seemed temporary as they returned toward baseline after the recovery phase. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04392752).

Substantial Fat Loss in Physique Competitors Is Characterized by Increased Levels of Bile Acids, Very-Long Chain Fatty Acids, and Oxylipins.

Weight loss and increased physical activity may promote beneficial modulation of the metabolome, but limited evidence exists about how very low-level weight loss affects the metabolome in previously non-obese active individuals. Following a weight loss period (21.1 ± 3.1 weeks) leading to substantial fat mass loss of 52% (−7.9 ± 1.5 kg) and low body fat (12.7 ± 4.1%), the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolic signature of 24 previously young, healthy, and normal weight female physique athletes was investigated. We observed uniform increases (FDR < 0.05) in bile acids, very-long-chain free fatty acids (FFA), and oxylipins, together with reductions in unsaturated FFAs after weight loss. These widespread changes, especially in the bile acid profile, were most strongly explained (FDR < 0.05) by changes in android (visceral) fat mass. The reported changes did not persist, as all of them were reversed after the subsequent voluntary weight regain period (18.4 ± 2.9 weeks) and were unchanged in non-dieting controls (n = 16). Overall, we suggest that the reported changes in FFA, bile acid, and oxylipin profiles reflect metabolic adaptation to very low levels of fat mass after prolonged periods of intense exercise and low-energy availability. However, the effects of the aforementioned metabolome subclass alteration on metabolic homeostasis remain controversial, and more studies are warranted to unravel the complex physiology and potentially associated health implications. In the end, our study reinforced the view that transient weight loss seems to have little to no long-lasting molecular and physiological effects.

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Deprivation Decreases Lipid Oxidation and Lipogenesis in C2C12 Myotubes.

Impaired lipid metabolism is a common risk factor underlying several metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that include valine, leucine and isoleucine have been proven to share a role in lipid metabolism and hence in maintaining metabolic health. We have previously introduced a hypothesis suggesting that BCAA degradation mechanistically connects to lipid oxidation and storage in skeletal muscle. To test our hypothesis, the present study examined the effects of BCAA deprivation and supplementation on lipid oxidation, lipogenesis and lipid droplet characteristics in murine C2C12 myotubes. In addition, the role of myotube contractions on cell metabolism was studied by utilizing in vitro skeletal-muscle-specific exercise-like electrical pulse stimulation (EPS). Our results showed that the deprivation of BCAAs decreased both lipid oxidation and lipogenesis in C2C12 myotubes. BCAA deprivation further diminished the number of lipid droplets in the EPS-treated myotubes. EPS decreased lipid oxidation especially when combined with high BCAA supplementation. Similar to BCAA deprivation, high BCAA supplementation also decreased lipid oxidation. The present results highlight the role of an adequate level of BCAAs in healthy lipid metabolism.

Higher glucose availability augments the metabolic responses of the C2C12 myotubes to exercise-like electrical pulse stimulation.

The application of exercise-like electrical pulse simulation (EL-EPS) has become a widely used exercise mimetic in vitro. EL-EPS produces similar physiological responses as in vivo exercise, while less is known about the detailed metabolic effects. Routinely, the C2C12 myotubes are cultured in high-glucose medium (4.5 g/L), which may alter EL-EPS responses. In this study, we evaluate the metabolic effects of EL-EPS under the high- and low-glucose (1.0 g/L) conditions to understand how substrate availability affects the myotube response to EL-EPS. The C2C12 myotube, media, and cell-free media metabolites were analyzed using untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics. Furthermore, translational and metabolic changes and possible exerkine effects were analyzed. EL-EPS enhanced substrate utilization as well as production and secretion of lactate, acetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs). The increase in BCFAs correlated with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and BCFAs were strongly decreased when myotubes were cultured without BCAAs suggesting the action of acyl-CoA thioesterases on BCAA catabolites. Notably, not all EL-EPS responses were augmented by high glucose because EL-EPS increased phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase and interleukin-6 secretion independent of glucose availability. Administration of acetate and EL-EPS conditioned media on HepG2 hepatocytes had no adverse effects on lipolysis or triacylglycerol content. Our results demonstrate that unlike in cell-free media, the C2C12 myotube and media metabolites were affected by EL-EPS, particularly under high-glucose condition suggesting that media composition should be considered in future EL-EPS studies. Furthermore, acetate and BCFAs were identified as putative exerkines warranting more research.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study examined for the first time the metabolome of 1) C2C12 myotubes, 2) their growth media, and 3) cell-free media after exercise-like electrical pulse stimulation under distinct nutritional loads. We report that myotubes grown under high-glucose conditions had greater responsiveness to EL-EPS when compared with lower glucose availability conditions and increased media content of acetate and branched-chain fatty acids suggests they might act as putative exerkines warranting further research.

Targeting the Activin Receptor Signaling to Counteract the Multi-Systemic Complications of Cancer and Its Treatments.

Muscle wasting, i.e., cachexia, frequently occurs in cancer and associates with poor prognosis and increased morbidity and mortality. Anticancer treatments have also been shown to contribute to sustainment or exacerbation of cachexia, thus affecting quality of life and overall survival in cancer patients. Pre-clinical studies have shown that blocking activin receptor type 2 (ACVR2) or its ligands and their downstream signaling can preserve muscle mass in rodents bearing experimental cancers, as well as in chemotherapy-treated animals. In tumor-bearing mice, the prevention of skeletal and respiratory muscle wasting was also associated with improved survival. However, the definitive proof that improved survival directly results from muscle preservation following blockade of ACVR2 signaling is still lacking, especially considering that concurrent beneficial effects in organs other than skeletal muscle have also been described in the presence of cancer or following chemotherapy treatments paired with counteraction of ACVR2 signaling. Hence, here, we aim to provide an up-to-date literature review on the multifaceted anti-cachectic effects of ACVR2 blockade in preclinical models of cancer, as well as in combination with anticancer treatments.

Mitochondrial bioenergetic pathways in blood leukocyte transcriptome decrease after intensive weight loss but are rescued following weight regain in female physique athletes.

Prolonged periods of energy deficit leading to weight loss induce metabolic adaptations resulting in reduced energy expenditure, but the mechanisms for energy conservation are incompletely understood. We examined 42 healthy athletic females (age 27.5 ± 4.0 years, body mass index 23.4 ± 1.7 kg/m2 ) who volunteered into either a group dieting for physique competition (n = 25) or a control group (n = 17). The diet group substantially reduced their energy intake and moderately increased exercise levels to induce loss of fat mass that was regained during a voluntary weight regain period. The control group maintained their typical lifestyle habits and body mass as instructed. From the diet group, fasting blood samples were drawn at baseline (PRE), after 4- to 5-month weight loss (PRE-MID), and after 4- to 5-month weight regain (MID-POST) as well as from the control group at similar intervals. Blood was analyzed to determine leukocyte transcriptome by RNA-Sequencing and serum metabolome by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) platform. The intensive weight loss period induced several metabolic adaptations, including a prominent suppression of transcriptomic signature for mitochondrial OXPHOS and ribosome biogenesis. The upstream regulator analysis suggested that this reprogramming of cellular energy metabolism may be mediated via AMPK/PGC1-α signaling and mTOR/eIF2 signaling-dependent pathways. Our findings show for the first time that prolonged energy deprivation induced modulation of mitochondrial metabolism can be observed through minimally invasive measures of leukocyte transcriptome and serum metabolome at systemic level, suggesting that adaptation to energy deficit is broader in humans than previously thought.

Muscle follistatin gene delivery increases muscle protein synthesis independent of periodical physical inactivity and fasting.

Blocking of myostatin and activins effectively counteracts muscle atrophy. However, the potential interaction with physical inactivity and fasting in the regulation of muscle protein synthesis is poorly understood. We used blockade of myostatin and activins by recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated follistatin (FS288) overexpression in mouse tibialis anterior muscle. To investigate the effects on muscle protein synthesis, muscles were collected 7 days after rAAV-injection in the nighttime or in the daytime representing high and low levels of activity and feeding, respectively, or after overnight fasting, refeeding, or ad libitum feeding. Muscle protein synthesis was increased by FS288 independent of the time of the day or the feeding status. However, the activation of mTORC1 signaling by FS288 was attenuated in the daytime and by overnight fasting. FS288 also increased the amount of mTOR colocalized with lysosomes, but did not alter their localization toward the sarcolemma. This study shows that FS288 gene delivery increases muscle protein synthesis largely independent of diurnal fluctuations in physical activity and food intake or feeding status, overriding the physiological signals. This is important for eg cachectic and sarcopenic patients with reduced physical activity and appetite. The FS288-induced increase in mTORC1 signaling and protein synthesis may be in part driven by increased amount of mTOR colocalized with lysosomes, but not by their localization toward sarcolemma.

Systemic blockade of ACVR2B ligands attenuates muscle wasting in ischemic heart failure without compromising cardiac function.

Signaling through activin receptors regulates skeletal muscle mass and activin receptor 2B (ACVR2B) ligands are also suggested to participate in myocardial infarction (MI) pathology in the heart. In this study, we determined the effect of systemic blockade of ACVR2B ligands on cardiac function in experimental MI, and defined its efficacy to revert muscle wasting in ischemic heart failure (HF). Mice were treated with soluble ACVR2B decoy receptor (ACVR2B-Fc) to study its effect on post-MI cardiac remodeling and on later HF. Cardiac function was determined with echocardiography, and myocardium analyzed with histological and biochemical methods for hypertrophy and fibrosis. Pharmacological blockade of ACVR2B ligands did not rescue the heart from ischemic injury or alleviate post-MI remodeling and ischemic HF. Collectively, ACVR2B-Fc did not affect cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, angiogenesis, nor factors associated with cardiac regeneration except modification of certain genes involved in metabolism or cell growth/survival. ACVR2B-Fc, however, was able to reduce skeletal muscle wasting in chronic ischemic HF, accompanied by reduced LC3II as a marker of autophagy and increased mTOR signaling and Cited4 expression as markers of physiological hypertrophy in quadriceps muscle. Our results ascertain pharmacological blockade of ACVR2B ligands as a possible therapy for skeletal muscle wasting in ischemic HF. Pharmacological blockade of ACVR2B ligands preserved myofiber size in ischemic HF, but did not compromise cardiac function nor exacerbate cardiac remodeling after ischemic injury.

Differentiation of Murine C2C12 Myoblasts Strongly Reduces the Effects of Myostatin on Intracellular Signaling.

Alongside in vivo models, a simpler and more mechanistic approach is required to study the effects of myostatin on skeletal muscle because myostatin is an important negative regulator of muscle size. In this study, myostatin was administered to murine (C2C12) and human (CHQ) myoblasts and myotubes. Canonical and noncanonical signaling downstream to myostatin, related ligands, and their receptor were analyzed. The effects of tumorkines were analyzed after coculture of C2C12 and colon cancer-C26 cells. The effects of myostatin on canonical and noncanonical signaling were strongly reduced in C2C12 cells after differentiation. This may be explained by increased follistatin, an endogenous blocker of myostatin and altered expression of activin receptor ligands. In contrast, CHQ cells were equally responsive to myostatin, and follistatin remained unaltered. Both myostatin administration and the coculture stimulated pathways associated with inflammation, especially in C2C12 cells. In conclusion, the effects of myostatin on intracellular signaling may be cell line- or organism-specific, and C2C12 myotubes seem to be a nonoptimal in vitro model for investigating the effects of myostatin on canonical and noncanonical signaling in skeletal muscle. This may be due to altered expression of activin receptor ligands and their regulators during muscle cell differentiation.

Sprint and Strength Training Modulates Autophagy and Proteostasis in Aging Sprinters.

PURPOSE: Exercise and aging may modulate muscle protein homeostasis and autophagy, but few studies examine highly trained middle-age or older individuals. This study elucidated the effects of a new long-term training stimulus on markers of muscle autophagy and unfolded protein response (UPR) and on sprint running performance in masters sprinters. METHODS: Thirty-two male competitive sprinters (age 40-76 yr) were randomly divided into experimental (EX) and control (CTRL) groups. The EX training program was a combination of heavy and explosive strength and sprint exercises aimed at improving sprint performance. Fifteen and thirteen participants completed the 20-wk intervention period in EX and CTRL, respectively. The latter were told to continue their routine exercises. Key protein markers were analyzed by Western blotting from vastus lateralis (VL) muscle biopsies. The muscle thickness of VL was analyzed by ultrasonography and sprint performance by a 60-m running test. RESULTS: EX induced improvement in 60-m sprint performance when compared with controls (time-group, P = 0.003) without changes in VL muscle thickness. Content of lipidated microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3-II) increased in EX (P = 0.022), suggesting increased autophagosome content. In addition, an autophagosome clearance marker sequestosome 1 (p62) decreased in EX (P = 0.006). Markers of UPR selectively modulated with decreases (e.g., ATF4, P = 0.003) and increases (e.g., EIF2α, P = 0.019) observed in EX. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a new intensive training stimulus that combines strength training with sprint training may increase muscle autophagosome content in a basal state without any evidence of impaired autophagosome clearance in masters sprinters. Simultaneously, the combined training may have a selective effect on the content of UPR signaling components.

Blocking Activin Receptor Ligands Is Not Sufficient to Rescue Cancer-Associated Gut Microbiota-A Role for Gut Microbial Flagellin in Colorectal Cancer and Cachexia?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) and cachexia are associated with the gut microbiota and microbial surface molecules. We characterized the CRC-associated microbiota and investigated whether cachexia affects the microbiota composition. Further, we examined the possible relationship between the microbial surface molecule flagellin and CRC. CRC cells (C26) were inoculated into mice. Activin receptor (ACVR) ligands were blocked, either before tumor formation or before and after, to increase muscle mass and prevent muscle loss. The effects of flagellin on C26-cells were studied in vitro. The occurrence of similar phenomena were studied in murine and human tumors. Cancer modulated the gut microbiota without consistent effects of blocking the ACVR ligands. However, continued treatment for muscle loss modified the association between microbiota and weight loss. Several abundant microbial taxa in cancer were flagellated. Exposure of C26-cells to flagellin increased IL6 and CCL2/MCP-1 mRNA and IL6 excretion. Murine C26 tumors expressed more IL6 and CCL2/MCP-1 mRNA than C26-cells, and human CRC tumors expressed more CCL2/MCP-1 than healthy colon sites. Additionally, flagellin decreased caspase-1 activity and the production of reactive oxygen species, and increased cytotoxicity in C26-cells. Conditioned media from flagellin-treated C26-cells deteriorated C2C12-myotubes and decreased their number. In conclusion, cancer increased flagellated microbes that may promote CRC survival and cachexia by inducing inflammatory proteins such as MCP-1. Cancer-associated gut microbiota could not be rescued by blocking ACVR ligands.