Premium
The muscle carnosine and taurine content of elderly non‐obese korean males with impaired glucose tolerance
Author(s) -
Harris Roger C,
Kim Hyo J,
Jones Glenys,
Lee Jon S,
Kim Chang K,
Wise John A
Publication year - 2008
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.22.1_supplement.962.29
Subject(s) - taurine , medicine , endocrinology , carnosine , impaired glucose tolerance , muscle biopsy , vastus lateralis muscle , chemistry , insulin , skeletal muscle , amino acid , biopsy , biochemistry , insulin resistance
Carnosine (β‐Alanylhistidine) (Carn) occurs in high concentrations in muscle where it contributes to H + buffering during exercise. Synthesis is limited by the availability of β‐Alanine synthesised in the liver from Uracil and transported to muscle fibres, but is enhanced by the inclusion of β‐Ala (or a β‐Ala source such as Carn) in the diet. Whilst the transport of β‐Ala into muscle is still not fully understood there is evidence that this may be linked to the action of insulin. Taurine (Tau), a beta‐sulfonic amino acid which shares the same transporter as β‐Ala, was also investigated in this study. PURPOSE To investigate if muscle Carn or Tau are altered in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). METHOD A single muscle biopsy of the vastus lateralis was obtained from 8 elderly non‐obese Korean males (58–67 y) with IGT. ~2mg of freeze‐dried powdered muscle was analysed for Carn and Tau by HPLC. Results were compared to muscle values of 10 young (19–25 y) active Korean males determined at the same time by the same method. RESULTS The mean muscle Carn and Tau contents of IGT subjects (21.5±3.8 and 44.9±12.0 mmol.kg −1 dm) were very similar to contents of younger subjects (22.1±2.8 and 42.8±10.3 mmol.kg −1 dm). Carn showed the same negative correlation to Tau in IGT as in younger subjects (a relationship previously observed in other subjects). CONCLUSION Muscle Carn and Tau were unaffected by IGT or age in Korean non‐obese males.