PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T C Vary

Publications and source records attributed to T C Vary.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist attenuates tumor necrosis factor-induced alterations in wound breaking strength.

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is an important mediator of impaired wound healing during sepsis. To determine whether the inhibitory effects of systemic TNF on wound healing are mediated directly by TNF or by means of the induction of interleukin-1 (IL-1), we investigated the effects of TNF and interleukin- receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) on wound healing in healthy rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized, and jugular catheters were placed. After recovery of 48 hours, osmotic minipumps were inserted into the peritoneal cavity and polyvinyl alcohol implants were placed subcutaneously. Control rats were infused with saline (24 microL/day, i.p., and 15 mL/day, i.v.). TNF rats received TNF i.p. (100 microg/kg per day) and saline i.v. (15 mL/day). TNF+IL-1ra rats received TNF i.p. (100 microg/kg per day) and IL-1ra i.v. (2 mg/kg per day;15 mL/day). All animals were pair fed to the TNF group. On day 6, the wounds were harvested. The breaking strength of the abdominal incision was measured. Granulation tissue penetration and quality were determined by scoring polyvinyl alcohol implant histology from 1 to 4 in a blinded manner. Collagen deposition in polyvinyl alcohol implants was quantified by hydroxyproline assay. RESULTS: TNF decreased the breaking strength of incisional wounds to 40% of control levels (p < 0.001). IL-1ra restored the breaking strength of incisions from TNF-infused animals to 80% of control levels. Similar reductions in granulation tissue penetration, quality, and hydroxyproline content were observed in TNF-treated animals and were partially ameliorated by IL-1ra. CONCLUSION: IL-1ra significantly attenuates the inhibitory effects of systemic TNF on wound healing. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of TNF on cutaneous tissue repair are mediated in part by IL-1.

Abdomen↗

Mechanism of IL-1 induced inhibition of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle.

Chronic interleukin (IL)-1 administration is associated with negative nitrogen balance and the loss of lean body mass. To elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) by which IL-1 modulates protein metabolism in muscle, we investigated the effects of chronic (6 day) IL-1alpha infusion on protein synthesis in Individual muscles (gastrocnemius, soleus, heart) compared with saline-infused control rats. IL-1 significantly decreased muscle weight, protein content, and the rate of protein synthesis in gastrocnemius (fast-twitch muscle). IL-1 had no effect on these parameters in the heart, whereas only the rate of protein synthesis was reduced in soleus (slow-twitch muscle). The reduction in gastrocnemius protein synthesis was not the result of a decrease in total RNA content, but was associated with a diminished translational efficiency. The diminished translational efficiency correlated with a 40% reduction in the epsilon-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (elF2Bepsilon) in gastrocnemius from IL-1 -treated animals. However, the content of the alpha-subunit of elF2 (elF2alpha) was unaffected. In contrast, the elF2alpha content in heart was increased by IL-1, although elF2Bepsilon levels were unchanged. Reductions in skeletal muscle protein synthesis were not associated with a concomitant reduction in circulating or tissue content of insulin-like growth factor I. In summary, the IL-1-induced decrease in gastrocnemius protein synthesis appears to be regulated at the level of RNA translation via a reduction in elF2Bepsilon. These findings support a regulatory role for IL-1 as a mediator of muscle protein synthesis and the alterations in body composition observed in catabolic states where this cytokine is overexpressed.

Animals↗

Inter-organ protein and carbohydrate metabolic relationships during sepsis: necessary evils or uncanny coincidences?

Sepsis alters the dynamic flux of metabolic substrates between skeletal muscle and liver. Derangements in skeletal muscle glucose metabolism evoked by sepsis to a certain extent determine the rate of gluconeogenesis in the liver. In contrast, accelerated rates of gluconeogenesis do not drive net catabolism in skeletal muscle, nor does the upregulation of hepatic protein metabolism in sepsis or inflammation appear to be contingent or dependent upon the catabolism of muscle proteins during sepsis.

Animals↗

Diazoxide-induced insulin deficiency greatly reduced muscle protein synthesis in rats: involvement of eIF4E.

We have investigated the effect of a postprandial acute insulin deficiency induced by diazoxide injection on rat skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Diazoxide administration lowered plasma insulin >85% within 3 h after injection, whereas other hormones (insulin-like growth factor I, glucagon, corticosterone) involved in the regulation of muscle protein synthesis were not altered significantly compared with control animals. The fractional rate of muscle protein synthesis, measured in vivo, was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) in epitrochlearis (-46%), gastrocnemius (-41%), and soleus (-35%). The reduction in protein synthesis did not result from a reduced total RNA content but was associated with diminished translation efficiency. Analysis of ribosomal subunits revealed that the decreased translation efficiency resulted from an impairment in the initiation phase of protein synthesis. Diazoxide-induced insulin deficiency was associated with a dramatic decrease in eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4G bound to eIF4E and a 2.5-fold increase in the amount of the eIF4E. 4E-binding protein 1 (BP1) complex. In contrast, diazoxide injection did not change either the relative amount of eIF4E present in gastrocnemius or its phosphorylation state. These results indicate that an acute insulin deficiency significantly decreases postprandial muscle protein synthesis by modulating the interaction between 4E-BP1, eIF4G, and eIF4E to control translation initiation.

Animals↗

TNF-binding protein ameliorates inhibition of skeletal muscle protein synthesis during sepsis.

We examined the effects of TNF-binding protein (TNFBP) on regulatory mechanisms of muscle protein synthesis during sepsis in four groups of rats: Control; Control+TNFBP; Septic; and Septic+TNFBP. Saline (1. 0 ml) or TNFBP (1 mg/kg, 1.0 ml) was injected daily starting 4 h before the induction of sepsis. The effect of TNFBP on gastrocnemius weight, protein content, and the rate of protein synthesis was examined 5 days later. Sepsis reduced the rate of protein synthesis by 35% relative to controls by depressing translational efficiency. Decreases in protein synthesis were accompanied by similar reductions in protein content and muscle weight. Treatment of septic animals with TNFBP for 5 days prevented the sepsis-induced inhibition of protein synthesis and restored translational efficiency to control values. TNFBP treatment of Control rats for 5 days was without effect on muscle protein content or protein synthesis. We also assessed potential mechanisms regulating translational efficiency. The phosphorylation state of p70(S6) kinase was not altered by sepsis. Sepsis reduced the gastrocnemius content of eukaryotic initiation factor 2Bepsilon (eIF2Bepsilon), but not eIF2alpha. The decrease in eIF2Bepsilon content was prevented by treatment of septic rats with TNFBP. TNFBP ameliorates the sepsis-induced changes in protein metabolism in gastrocnemius, indicating a role for TNF in the septic process. The data suggest that TNF may impair muscle protein synthesis by reducing expression of specific initiation factors during sepsis.

Animals↗

Regulation of protein synthesis after acute resistance exercise in diabetic rats.

These studies determined whether insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) involvement in exercise-stimulated anabolic processes becomes more evident during hypoinsulinemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6-12/group) were made diabetic (blood glucose congruent with 300 mg/dl) by partial pancreatectomy (PPX) or remained nondiabetic (glucose congruent with 144 mg/dl). Rats performed acute resistance exercise by repetitive standing on the hindlimbs with weighted backpacks (ex), or they remained sedentary (sed). Resistance exercise caused increases in rates of protein synthesis (nmol Phe incorporated. g muscle-1. h-1, measured for gastrocnemius muscle in vivo 16 h after exercise) for both nondiabetic [sed = 154 +/- 6 (SE) vs. ex = 189 +/- 7] and diabetic rats (PPXsed = 152 +/- 11 vs. PPXex = 202 +/- 14, P < 0.05). Arterial plasma insulin concentrations in diabetic rats, congruent with180 pM, were less than one-half those found in nondiabetic rats, congruent with444 pM, (P < 0.05). The activity of eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B; pmol GDP exchanged/min) was higher (P < 0.05) in ex rats (sed = 0.028 +/- 0.006 vs. ex = 0.053 +/- 0.015; PPXsed = 0.033 +/- 0.013 vs. PPXex = 0.047 +/- 0.009) regardless of diabetic status. Plasma IGF-I concentrations were higher in ex compared with sed diabetic rats (P < 0.05). In contrast, plasma IGF-I was not different in nondiabetic ex or sed rats. Muscle IGF-I (ng/g wet wt) was similar in ex and sed nondiabetic rats, but in diabetic rats was 2- to 3-fold higher in ex (P < 0.05) than in sed rats. In conclusion, moderate hypoinsulinemia that is sufficient to alter glucose homeostasis does not inhibit an increase in rates of protein synthesis after acute moderate-intensity resistance exercise. This preserved response may be due to a compensatory increase in muscle IGF-I content and a maintained ability to activate eIF2B.

Animals↗

Inhibition of muscle protein synthesis by alcohol is associated with modulation of eIF2B and eIF4E.

The present study examined potential mechanisms for the inhibition of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after chronic alcohol consumption. Rats were maintained on an alcohol-containing diet for 14 wk; control animals were pair fed. Alcohol-induced myopathy was confirmed by a reduction in lean body mass as well as a decrease in the weight of the gastrocnemius and psoas muscles normalized for tibial length. No alcohol-induced decrease in total RNA content (an estimate of ribosomal RNA) was detected in any muscle examined, suggesting that alcohol reduced translational efficiency but not the capacity for protein synthesis. To identify mechanisms responsible for regulating translational efficiency, we analyzed several eukaryotic initiation factors (eIF). There was no difference in the muscle content of either total eIF2alpha or the amount of eIF2alpha in the phosphorylated form between alcohol-fed and control rats. Similarly, the relative amount of eIF2Bepsilon in muscle was also not different. In contrast, alcohol decreased eIF2B activity in psoas (fast-twitch) but not in soleus or heart (slow-twitch) muscles. Alcohol feeding also dramatically influenced the distribution of eIF4E in the gastrocnemius (fast-twitch) muscle. Compared with control values, muscle from alcohol-fed rats demonstrated 1) an increased binding of the translational repressor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) with eIF4E, 2) a decrease in the phosphorylated gamma-form of 4E-BP1, and 3) a decrease in eIF4G associated with eIF4E. In summary, these data suggest that chronic alcohol consumption impairs translation initiation in muscle by altering multiple regulatory sites, including eIF2B activity and eIF4E availability.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Chronic alcohol feeding impairs hepatic translation initiation by modulating eIF2 and eIF4E.

The present study examined potential cellular mechanisms responsible for the inhibition of protein synthesis in liver after chronic alcohol consumption. Rats were maintained on an alcohol-containing diet for 14 wk; control animals were fed isocalorically. Hepatic ATP content was not different in alcohol-fed and control animals. No alcohol-induced reduction in total hepatic RNA content (an estimate of ribosomal RNA) was detected, suggesting that alcohol decreased translational efficiency. Alcohol feeding increased the proportion of 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits in the nonpolysome-associated fraction by 30%. To identify mechanisms responsible for the impairment in initiation, several eukaryotic initiation factors (eIF) were analyzed. Alcohol feeding decreased hepatic eIF2B activity by 36%. This reduction was associated with a 20% decrease in eIF2Bepsilon content and a 90% increase in eIF2alpha phosphorylation. Alcohol also dramatically influenced the distribution of eIF4E. Compared with pair-fed control values, alcohol feeding increased the amount of eIF4E present in the inactive 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). eIF4E complex by 80% and decreased binding of eIF4G to eIF4E by 70%. However, the phosphorylation status of 4E-BP1 and eIF4E was not altered by alcohol. Although the plasma concentrations of threonine, proline, and citrulline were mildly decreased, the circulating amount of total amino acids was not altered by alcohol feeding. In summary, these data suggest that chronic alcohol consumption impairs translation initiation in liver by altering eIF2B activity as well as eIF4F function via changes in eIF4E availability.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Amino acid-induced stimulation of translation initiation in rat skeletal muscle.

Amino acids stimulate protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by accelerating translation initiation. In the two studies described herein, we examined mechanisms by which amino acids regulate translation initiation in perfused skeletal muscle hindlimb preparation of rats. In the first study, the effects of supraphysiological amino acid concentrations on eukaryotic initiation factors (eIF) 2B and 4E were compared with physiological concentrations of amino acids. Amino acid supplementation stimulated protein synthesis twofold. No changes were observed in eIF2B activity, in the amount of eIF4E associated with the eIF4E-binding protein (4E-BP1), or in the phosphorylation of 4E-BP1. The abundance of eIF4E bound to eIF4G and the extent of phosphorylation of eIF4E were increased by 800 and 20%, respectively. In the second study, we examined the effect of removing leucine on translation initiation when all other amino acids were maintained at supraphysiological concentrations. Removal of leucine from the perfusate decreased the rate of protein synthesis by 40%. The inhibition of protein synthesis was associated with a 40% decrease in eIF2B activity and an 80% fall in the abundance of eIF4E. eIF4G complex. The fall in eIF4G binding to eIF4E was associated with increased 4E-BP1 bound to eIF4E and a reduced phosphorylation of 4E-BP1. In contrast, the extent of phosphorylation of eIF4E was unaffected. We conclude that formation of the active eIF4E. eIF4G complex controls protein synthesis in skeletal muscle when the amino acid concentration is above the physiological range, whereas removal of leucine reduces protein synthesis through changes in both eIF2B and eIF4E.

Amino Acids↗

Hypertrophy of skeletal muscle in diabetic rats in response to chronic resistance exercise.

This study had the following objectives: 1) to determine whether diabetic rats could increase muscle mass due to a physiological manipulation (chronic resistance exercise), 2) to determine whether exercise training status modifies the effect of the last bout of exercise on elevations in rates of protein synthesis, and 3) to determine whether chronic resistance exercise alters basal glycemia. Groups consisted of diabetic or nondiabetic rats that performed progressive resistance exercise for 8 wk, performed acute resistance exercise, or remained sedentary. Arterial plasma insulin in diabetic groups was reduced by about one-half (P < 0.05) compared with nondiabetic groups. Soleus and gastrocnemius-plantaris complex muscle wet weights were lower because of diabetes, but in response to chronic exercise these muscles hypertrophied in diabetic (0.028 +/- 0.003 vs. 0.032 +/- 0.0015 g/cm for sedentary vs. exercised soleus and 0.42 +/- 0.068 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.041 g/cm for sedentary vs. exercised gastrocnemius-plantaris, both P < 0.05) but not in nondiabetic (0.041 +/- 0.0026 vs. 0.042 +/- 0.003 g/cm for sedentary vs. exercised soleus and 0.72 +/- 0.015 vs. 0.69 +/- 0.013 g/cm for sedentary vs. exercised gastrocnemius-plantaris) rats when muscle weight was expressed relative to tibial length or body weight (data not shown). Another group of diabetic rats that lifted heavier weights showed muscle hypertrophy. Rates of protein synthesis were higher in red gastrocnemius in chronically exercised than in sedentary rats: 155 +/- 11 and 170 +/- 7 nmol phenylalanine incorporated x g muscle(-1) x h(-1) in exercised diabetic and nondiabetic rats vs. 110 +/- 14 and 143 +/- 7 nmol phenylalanine incorporated x g muscle(-1) x h(-1) in sedentary diabetic and nondiabetic rats. These elevations, however, were lower than in acutely exercised (but untrained) rats: 176 +/- 15 and 193 +/- 8 nmol phenylalanine incorporated x g muscle(-1) x h(-1) in diabetic and nondiabetic rats. Finally, chronic exercise training in diabetic rats was associated with reductions in basal glycemia, and such reductions did not occur in sedentary diabetic groups. These data demonstrate that, despite lower circulating insulin concentrations, diabetic rats can increase muscle mass in response to a physiological stimulus.

Animals↗

TNF binding protein prevents hyperlactatemia and inactivation of PDH complex in skeletal muscle during sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Hyperlactatemia is a metabolic complication of hypermetabolic, hyperdynamic sepsis. An important mechanism responsible for elevating plasma lactate concentrations in sepsis is altered regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) in skeletal muscle. We investigated the ability of a specific tumor necrosis factor binding protein, TNFbp, to modulate lactate concentrations and skeletal muscle PDH activity in a rodent model of chronic abdominal sepsis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the regulation of lactate metabolism in four groups of animals: Control, Control + TNFbp, Septic, and Septic + TNFbp. Chronic (5 days) sepsis was induced by the creation of a stable intraabdominal abscess using a sterile fecal-agar pellet inoculated with E. coli plus B. Fragilis as the foreign body nidus. TNFbp (1 mg/kg/day) was injected subcutaneously daily. RESULTS: Sepsis increased plasma and skeletal muscle lactate concentrations 2-fold compared with control. In septic rats treated with TNFbp, plasma and skeletal muscle lactate concentrations were significantly decreased compared with untreated septic rats. In skeletal muscle, sepsis resulted in a 70% decrease in the proportion of the PDH in the active form compared with controls. The sepsis-induced inhibition in the PDH complex activity was prevented by TNFbp. PDH kinase was enhanced 1.8-fold in sepsis, and the increase in PDH kinase activity was prevented by treatment with TNFbp. TNFbp treatment did not have any effects on plasma lactate or the proportion of active skeletal muscle PDH activity in control animals. CONCLUSIONS: TNFbp prevents the sepsis-induced hyperlactatemia and derangements in skeletal muscle lactate concentrations and PDH activity. These observations suggest that TNF is an important mediator responsible for lactate dyshomeostasis during sepsis.

Abdomen↗

Reduced 40S initiation complex formation in skeletal muscle during sepsis.

Severe muscle wasting is a characteristic feature of sepsis. We have previously established that the rate of protein synthesis in muscles composed of fast-twitch fibers is severely diminished in response to sepsis. The present studies investigate the biochemical reactions responsible for the decreased rate of protein synthesis using gastrocnemius from control and septic rats perfused in situ. Analysis of free ribosomal subunits indicated peptide-chain initiation was impaired by infection. To characterize biochemical reactions in the pathway of peptide-chain initiation affected, the effect of sepsis on the incorporation of initiator [35S]methionyl-tRNA (met-tRNA(imet)) into the 40S initiation complex was examined. Sepsis caused a 65% decrease in the binding of radiolabelled met-tRNA(imet) to the 40S initiation complex compared with controls. The binding of met-tRNA(met) to the 40S ribosome is regulated by eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-2B, whose activity can be modulated in part by the redox state of pyridine dinucleotides. The mean cytoplasmic NADH/NAD+ ratio was increased 2 fold in sepsis, while the NADPH/NADP+ ratio was unchanged. These findings identify the formation of the 40S initiation complex as a defect in the protein synthesis machinery during sepsis. The decreased formation of the 40S initiation complex in muscle could not be explained by changes in the cytoplasmic redox state.

Animals↗

Regulation of skeletal muscle protein turnover during sepsis.

Wasting of skeletal muscle protein is a prominent feature of the metabolic response to sepsis. Persistent protein wasting leads to muscle dysfunction and prolongs recovery from the septic insult. Unfortunately, conventional nutritional support alone does not prevent the sepsis-induced weight loss and catabolism of muscle. Hence, mechanisms other than substrate deficiency appear to be involved in the derangements in protein metabolism during sepsis. The catabolism of muscle during sepsis results from a stimulation of proteolysis and an inhibition of protein synthesis. Despite the importance of these pathways in maintaining muscle mass, the regulation of protein synthesis and proteolysis during sepsis remains poorly understood. This review summarizes the mechanisms responsible for alterations in protein synthesis and degradation in muscle during sepsis at the biochemical level. The ability of hormones (insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, glucocorticoids) or cytokines (tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1) to act as mediators or modulators of protein catabolism is also examined. A picture is emerging suggesting that cytokines may influence skeletal muscle protein metabolism during sepsis both indirectly, through inhibition of the regulatory actions of anabolic hormones on protein turnover, and directly, through modulation of the protein synthesis and degradation enzymatic machinery.

Animals↗

Differential regulation of skeletal muscle protein turnover by insulin and IGF-I after bacteremia.

Skeletal muscle catabolism is a characteristic metabolic response to sepsis. We investigated the ability of physiological insulin (2 nM) or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I, 10 nM) concentrations to modify protein metabolism during incubation of epitrochlearis 2, 6, or 15 days after injection of live Escherichia coli. On days 2 and 6 postinfection, skeletal muscle exhibited an exacerbated negative protein balance resulting from both an inhibition in protein synthesis (25%) and an enhanced proteolysis (90%) compared with controls. By day 15 postinfection, protein balance in infected rats was significantly improved compared with either day 2 or 6. At this time, protein synthesis was augmented and protein degradation was decreased in infected rats relative to day 6. Insulin or IGF-I stimulated protein synthesis in muscles from septic and control rats in vitro to the same extent at each time point examined. The ability of insulin or IGF-I to limit protein degradation was severely blunted 48 h after infection. On day 6 postinfection, the effect of insulin or IGF-I to inhibit proteolysis was more pronounced than on day 2. Incubation with IGF-I limited proteolysis to a greater extent than insulin on both days in infected but not control rats. By day 15, insulin diminished proteolysis to the same extent as in controls. The results suggest that injection of bacteria causes fundamental derangements in protein metabolism that persist for days after infection.

Animals↗

Effect of dietary protein on translation initiation in rat skeletal muscle and liver.

The effect of dietary protein on the initiation of mRNA translation was examined in rats starved for 18 h and then fed isocaloric diets containing either 20% protein (20P) or no added protein (0P). Feeding the 20P diet, but not the 0P diet, stimulated protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and liver by 38 and 41%, respectively. The stimulation was associated with reduced binding of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E to the translational repressor 4E-BP1, increased formation of the active eIF4E-eIF4G complex, and increased phosphorylation of 4E-BP1. In contrast, feeding a 0P diet had no effect on any of these parameters. Feeding a 20P diet resulted in partial dephosphorylation of eIF4E in both tissues. In liver, refeeding a 0P diet also resulted in partial eIF4E dephosphorylation, suggesting that the phosphorylation state of eIF4E is not important in the stimulation of protein synthesis under these conditions. Finally, plasma insulin concentrations were the same in rats fed either diet (14.8 +/- 4.9 vs. 15.5 +/- 4.5 microU/ml for 20P and 0P groups, respectively), suggesting that feeding-induced changes in plasma insulin are not sufficient to stimulate protein synthesis. Instead, a combination of dietary protein and insulin may be required to stimulate translation initiation.

Animals↗

Role of central IL-1 in regulating peripheral IGF-I during endotoxemia and sepsis.

Inflammatory cytokines may mediate the host response to infection via central nervous system, endocrine, and/or paracrine/autocrine signaling mechanisms. Previous studies have shown that intravenous administration of interleukin (IL)-1 beta alters the concentration of the anabolic hormone insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I in plasma and various tissues. The purpose of the present study was to determine 1) whether the intracerebroventricular injection of IL-1 beta can influence peripheral IGF-I levels in control animals and 2) whether the central administration of a IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) can prevent the changes in peripheral IGF-I induced by endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] or sepsis produced by cecal ligation and puncture. In the first experiment, injection of IL-1 beta (100 ng/rat) decreased IGF-I levels in plasma, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle 28-36% by 1.5 h in conscious fasted rats. IGF-I levels remained reduced at 3 h, but returned to baseline by 6 h. IGF-I content was not altered in soleus, kidney, spleen, intestine, or whole brain after IL-1 beta. In the second series of experiments, LPS injected intravenously decreased IGF-I levels in plasma, liver, and gastrocnemius at 1.5 h, and levels were even further reduced at 3 and 6 h in these tissues (59, 57, and 48%, respectively). Moreover, the IGF-I content was also decreased in soleus (30-35%) and increased in kidney (2- to 3-fold) after LPS. In the third experiment, changes in IGF-I levels in plasma and tissues, similar to those seen in LPS-treated rats, were detected 24 h after induction of peritonitis. Intracerebroventricular infusion of IL-1ra did not alter any of the changes in IGF-I produced by either LPS or sepsis, although it did attenuate the concomitant changes in growth hormone levels. These data suggest that, although central IL-1 beta is capable of modulating peripheral IGF-I levels, central administration of IL-1ra was unable to modulate the changes in peripheral IGF-I in blood and tissues produced by either endotoxemia or peritonitis.

Animals↗

Effects of intensity of acute-resistance exercise on rates of protein synthesis in moderately diabetic rats.

These studies determined whether increases in rates of protein synthesis observed in skeletal muscle after moderate or severe acute-resistance exercise were blunted by insulinopenia. Rats (n = 6-9 per group) were made insulin deficient by partial pancreatectomy or remained nondiabetic. Groups either remained sedentary or performed acute-resistance exercise 16 h before rates of protein synthesis were measured in vivo. Exercise required 50 repetitions of standing on the hindlimbs with either 0.6 g backpack wt/g body wt (moderate exercise) or 1.0 g backpack wt/g body wt (severe exercise). Insulin-deficient rats had a mean blood glucose concentration >15 mM and reduced insulin concentrations in the plasma. Rates of protein synthesis in gastrocnemius muscle were not different in all sedentary groups. The moderate-exercised nondiabetic group (192 +/- 12 nmol phenylalanine incorporated. g muscle-1. h-1) and moderate-exercised diabetic group (215 +/- 18) had significantly (P < 0.05, ANOVA) higher rates of protein synthesis than did respective sedentary groups. In contrast, diabetic rats that performed severe-resistance exercise had rates of protein synthesis (176 +/- 12) that were not different (P > 0.05) from diabetic sedentary rats (170 +/- 9), whereas nondiabetic rats that performed severe exercise had higher (212 +/- 24) rates compared with nondiabetic sedentary rats (178 +/- 10) P < 0.05. The present data in combination with previous studies [J. D. Fluckey, T. C. Vary, L. S. Jefferson, and P. A. Farrell. Am. J. Physiol. 270 (Endocrinol. Metab. 33): E313-E319, 1996] show that the amount of insulin required for an in vivo permissive effect of insulin on rates of protein synthesis can be quite low after moderate-intensity resistance exercise. However, severe exercise in combination with low insulin concentrations can ablate an anabolic response.

Animals↗

Activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase improves heart function and metabolism after hemorrhagic shock.

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that activation of myocardial pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) would improve recovery of heart function after brief, severe hemorrhagic shock. Pentobarbital-anesthetized rats were instrumented to monitor arterial blood pressure and right ventricular pressures. Rats were hemorrhaged via femoral artery to 25-30 mmHg mean arterial pressure (MAP) for 60 min, followed by retransfusion of shed blood with either 1.0 cc saline with no dichloroacetate (-DCA) or 1.0 cc saline containing 150 mg/kg sodium dichloroacetate (+DCA). Rats were observed for 3 h after retransfusion. Hearts were freeze-clamped in situ for analysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), creatine phosphate (CrP), lactate and pyruvate content as well as PDH activity (PDHa) and total PDH activity (PDHt). Three h after retransfusion, the rate pressure product (RPP=HRxPSP) was 23 000+/-2733 with no DCA treatment v 36 2769 mmHg/min with DCA treatment (P<0.05, ANOVA). Treatment with DCA also increased myocardial tissue content of high energy phosphates (ATP=10.1+/-1.1 and CrP=5.8+/-1.0 micromol/g weight-DCA, v 15.1+/-0.9 and 14.7+/-1.0 micromol/g dry weight+DCA, P<0.05, both measurements). DCA administration also significantly reduced myocardial lactate contents (14.6+/-2.7 micromol/g dry weight-DCA v 5.9+/-1.0+DCA). Hemorrhagic shock did not change PDHa or PDHt compared to hearts obtained during the pre-hemorrhage period. Retransfusion with DCA significantly increased PDHa activity (6.8+/-1.1 micromol/g dry weight/min-DCA v 29.7+/-2.0 micromol/g dry weight/min+DCA). PDHt was not different between controls and DCA-treated groups. These data indicate that activation of myocardial PDH by adding DCA to retransfused blood improved heart function and metabolism after severe hemorrhagic shock.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗