Effect of leucine supplementation on skeletal muscle regenerative process.

Author(s)

Marcelo Gomes Pereira

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI)
• Defense date: 2015-04-15

Examining board members

Elen Haruka Miyabara; Reury Frank Pereira Bacurau; Maria Luiza Morais Barreto de Chaves; Antonio Herbert Lancha Junior; Maria Julia Marques

• Advisor: Elen Haruka Miyabara; Marcelo Saldanha Aoki

Abstract

Leucine supplementation can be an important therapy for the regeneration of injured skeletal muscle tissue, for modulating intracellular pathways regulating muscle mass. In this study, rats had their soleus and TA muscles of the left hind limb damaged. The animals were divided into control and supplemented with leucine groups (1.35 g / kg per day), which started three days before damage and continued for 1, 3, 10 and 21 days. Leucine increased myofiber CSA in soleus and reduced inflammation and fibrosis on both, and reduced the activation of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways. Leucine also increased the number of proliferating satellite cells in the soleus, accelerated the conversion between MyHC isoforms, and in rate of protein synthesis in the TA. However, no elevation on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway was observed. There was a reduction on FoXO3a activation and ubiquitinated proteins accumulation in the soleus and an increase in the 26S proteasome activity. Leucine also attenuated the functional impairment on both muscles. (AU)