Premium
ARGININE SUPPLEMENTATION HAS AN ANABOLIC EFFECT ON PROTEINS IN SKIN WOUND AND MUSCLE
Author(s) -
Zhang Xiaojun,
Chinkes David L,
Wolfe Robert R
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a334-b
Subject(s) - anabolism , arginine , nitric oxide , phenylalanine , amino acid , chemistry , endocrinology , medicine , protein metabolism , wound healing , valine , biochemistry , surgery
Arginine has been reported to be a regulator of protein synthesis. The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of arginine supplementation on protein metabolism in skin wound and muscle with relation to nitric oxide (NO). L‐[ring‐ 13 C 6 ]phenylalanine was infused as a tracer on day 7 after ear injury, and the scalded ear and uninjured hindlimb were used as arteriovenous units to reflect protein kinetics in these two tissues. In Study 1, an amino acid mixture (10% Travasol) was either infused alone at 1.5 ml/(kg .h) or at 0.75 ml/(kg .h) with supplemental L‐arginine for isonitrogenous infusion. Arginine supplementation increased (p<0.05) net protein synthesis in skin wound [from −6.7 ± 6.2 to −0.8 ± 3.8 μmol phenylalanine/(100 g .h)] and muscle [from −4.4 ± 2.4 to −1.9 ± 1.5 μmol Phe/(100 g .h)]. In Study 2, Nω‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME) was infused in the absence of amino acids to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) synthase during the stable isotope infusion. The L‐NAME infusion markedly reduced the blood flow rate in the scalded ear but not in the leg. In comparison with a control group, L‐NAME infusion increased (p<0.05) net protein synthesis in skin wound and in muscle. These results excluded enhanced NO production as an explanation of the anabolic effect of arginine. We conclude that arginine supplementation stimulates net protein synthesis in skin wound and muscle by a mechanism independent of NO production.