EFFECTS OF LEUCINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON TROPHIC AND ATROPHIC SKELETAL MUSCLE PATHWAYS OF THE RATS SUBMITTED TO PARADOXICAL SLEEP DEPRIVATION

• Grant number: 12/15869-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Marco Túlio de Mello
• Grantee: Helton de Sá Souza
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Sleep is an important factor to the process of muscle recovery. Animal models suggest that the sleep debt is associated with corticosterone secretion and reductions in testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1), these parameters are related to a catabolic environment promoting an atrophy process. Among the strategies used to minimize this condition, the use of branched chain amino acids (BCAA), particularly leucine, has been gaining attention because of the important interactions with different proteins that act in the mechanism of balance between synthesis and protein degradation pathways, contributing to the maintenance of muscle protein synthesis. Considering the potential effect of leucine supplementation in the maintenance of muscle mass in contrast to the deleterious effects of sleep debt, the objective of this study is evaluate the effects of acute amino acid leucine ingestion on the trophy and atrophy skeletal muscle pathways of the rats submitted to a paradoxical sleep deprivation for 96 hours (PSP96). For this purpose, Wistar rats, will receive leucine supplementation during PSP96. After these procedures the animals will be euthanized and gastrocnemius muscle blood will be collected to biochemical, histological, and blood. To evaluate the anabolic and catabolic hormone responses will be measured levels of testosterone, IGF-1, corticosterone, glucose and insulin. Histological analysis of the gastrocnemius muscle will be done with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and ATPase. Biochemical analysis will be performed by Western blotting of proteins of the pathways of synthesis and degradation protein (AKT, mTOR, p70s6K1, FOXO, MuRF1, and myostatin and their active forms).