Leucine Oxidation and Protein Turnover in Clofibrate-Induced Muscle Protein Degradation in Rats
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Leucine Oxidation and Protein Turnover in Clofibrate-induced Muscle Protein Degradation in Rats Harbhajan S. Paul, Siamak A. Adibi J Clin Invest. 1980;65(6):1285-1293. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI109791. Research Article Treatment of hyperlipidemia with clofibrate may result in development of a muscular syndrome. Our previous investigation (1979. J. Clin. Invest.64: 405.) showed that chronic administration of clofibrate to rats causes myotonia and decreases glucose and fatty acid oxidation and total protein of skeletal muscle. In the present experiments we have investigated amino acid and protein metabolism in these rats. Clofibrate administration decreased the concentration of all three branched-chain amino acids without affecting those of others in muscle. Studies to examine the mechanism of decreases in muscle concentrations of branched-chain amino acids showed the following: (a) Plasma concentration of leucine was decreased, whereas there was no significant change in the concentration of isoleucine and valine. (b) Liver concentrations of all three branched-chain amino acids remained unaltered. (c) The uptake of cycloleucine (a nonmetabolizable analogue of leucine) by both muscle and liver was unaffected. (d) The percentage of a trace amount of 14 14 injected [1- C]leucine expired as CO2 in 1 h was significantly increased. (e) The capacity of muscle homogenate for α- decarboxylation of leucine was enhanced, whereas that of liver was unaffected. (f) The activity of leucine transaminase was unaffected, whereas that of α-ketoisocaproate dehydrogenase was increased in muscle. Studies of protein synthesis, carried out as incorporation of leucine into protein and corrected for differences in specific activity, showed no alteration in liver […] Find the latest version: https://jci.me/109791/pdf Leucine Oxidation and Protein Turnover in Clofibrate-induced Muscle Protein Degradation in Rats HARBHAJAN- S. PAUL and SIANIAK A. ADIBI, Gastrointestinial anid .Nutritionl Ullit, Alon tefiore Hospital, Uniiver.sity of Pitt.sbu rgh School of Mledicinze, Pittsburgh, Penn.isillvanria 1.5213 A B S T R A C T Treatment of hvperlipidemia with 'We conclude that (a) clofibrate treatmiienit increased clofibrate may result in development of a muscular branched-chaiin aminio acid oxidlation by inicreasinig the svndrome. Our previous investigation (1979. J. ClitG. activity of branched-chaini a-ketoacid dehvdrogenase Ivce.st. 64: 405.) showed that chronic administration of in the muscle, (b) increased oxidation results in selec- clofibrate to rats causes mvotonia and decreases glu- tive decreases in the concenitrationi of these aiiiino acids cose and fatty acid oxidation and total protein of skeletal in muscle, and (c) decreases in branched-chain aminio muscle. In the present experimiients we have in- acid concenitrationi mav be responsil)le for intcreased vestigated amino acid and protein metabolism in these protein degradation in mluscle. rats. Clofibrate administratioin decreased the conceni- tration of all three branched-chain amino acids without INTRODUCTION affecting those of others in muscle. Studies to examine the mechanism of decreases in muscle concenitrationis Oxidation is an importanit pathway for the metabolismii of branched-chain amiiino acids showed the followiing: of branched-chaini amino acids. Patients with heredi- (a) Plasma concenitration of leucine was decreased, tarv disorders such as mlaple syrup urine disease and whereas there was no significant change in the con- isovaleric acidemia, in which the oxidationi of these centrationi of isoleucinie and valine. (b) Liver conceni- aminio acids is impaired, often have life-threateninig trations of all three branched-chain amino acids re- metabolic derangemenits (1). Unlike other aminlo acids, mained unaltered. (c) The uptake of cycloleucine (a which are oxidized mostly in the liver, the oxidationi nonmetabolizable analogue of leucine) by both muscle of branched-chain amino acids is accomiiplislhed prin- and liver was unlaffectedl. (d) The percentage of a trace cipally in the skeletal muscle (2-5). amounot of injected [1-'4C]leucine expired as 14CO2 in In 1971 Adibi and co-workers (6) reporte(d that starva- 1 h was significanitly increased. (e) The capacity of tion increases oxidation of leucine by the skeletal muscle homogenate for a-decarboxylation of leucine muscle. This observation, which has also been notedl bv was enhanced, whereas that of liver was unaffected. others (7; review), raised the possibility of alteration of (f) The activity of leuciine transaminase was unaf- branched-chaini amino acid oxidation by nutritionial and fected, whereas that of a-ketoisocaproate dehydro- metabolic factors. Indeed, stud(lies in a numiiber of genase was increased in muscle. laboratories including our owni have identified suich Studies of protein sviythesis, carried out as incorpora- factors. For example, ketone bodlies (8), carnitinie (9- tion of leucine into protein and corrected for differ- 11), hexanoate, and octanoate (12, 13) stimultlate, and ences in specific activity, showed no alteration in liver pyruvate (12) and decanoate (13) inhibit the oxidation but enhanced synthesis in muscle of clofibrate-fed of leucine by the muscle in vitro. rats. Clofibrate stimulated muscle protein degradation, The fact that starvation and diabetes inerease the which was demiionstrated by increased tvrosine release oxidation of both fatty acids (5, 14) and( branichled-chaill from gastrocnemius muscle slices anid by increased amino acids (5, 8, 15, 16) by the muscle, suggests that urinary excretioin of 3-methvlhistidine. there may be a coomim-oni miiodulation for oxidlationi of both substrates. To examinie the existeiice of such a pos- sibilitv, it would be importanit to investigate branicled- This work wvas presenite(1 at the Annulal Meeting of the chain amino acid oxidation by muscle in a situation of Federation of Aibericanl Societies for Experimenital Biology, in Atlaintic City, N. J. 1978. Fed. Proc. 37: 541. (Abstr.) impaired fatty acid oxidation by this tisstue. \Ve have Rcceived for publication 20 Novetlnber 1978 a ,,c in rcv i.sccl recently reported that treatmenit of rats with clofibrate f,,rm 14 Fcbruiaril 1980. decreases fattv acid oxidationi by the skeletal muscle J. Clitn. Incvest. (D The Americant Societix fOr Clitnical Investigationt, Intc. * 0021-9738180/0611285109 $1.00 1285 Volume 65 June 1980 1285-1293 (17). Therefore, the clofibrate-fed rat provided us with tography (Beckman Instruments Inc., Spinco Div., model a suitable animal model in which to test whether the 120 C, Palo Alto, Calif.) and liquid scintillation spectrometry. The concentration of leucine was determined by the reported oxidation of both -substrates follows a similar pattern. method (21). For the determination of radioactive leucine In the present studies we examined the effects of clo- concentration, an aliquot (1 ml) of sulfosalicylic acid extract fibrate treatment on concentration, transport, trans- was applied to a 0.9 x 60-cm ion-exchange column of UR-30 amination, and in vitro and in vivo oxidation of leucine. resin (Beckman Instruments, Inc.). The column was eluted As shown in our previous paper (17), clofibrate treat- with 0.2 N sodium citrate buffer, pH 3.20, for 170 min followed by elution with 0.2 N sodium citrate buffer, pH 4.25, for 150 ment decreases total protein of the skeletal muscle. In min. Under these elution conditions, leucine emerged from view of recent suggestions that branched-chain amino the column between 220 and 250 min. Therefore, fractions acids, particularly leucine, are possible regulators of were collected every minute during this period to ensure protein turnover in the muscle (18, 19), the studies of complete recovery of leucine. Fractions were collected directly into counting vials and after adding 10 ml of Aquasol-2 leucine metabolism, described above, were ac- (New England Nuclear), radioactivity was determined in a companied by studies of protein synthesis and liquid scintillation spectrometer. Each sample was corrected degradation in the muscle. for efficiency by external standardization and for background counts. Net counts in all fractions were pooled and the results were expressed as disintegrations per minute per nanomole METHODS of leucine. Treatment of animals. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were The intracellular specific activity of leucine in muscle and housed in individual cages in air-conditioned quarters liver was calculated by correcting for the concentration and (-24°C) and received Purina Laboratory Chow (Ralston specific activity of leucine in the extracellular space. The con- Purina Co., St. Louis, Mo.) and drinking water ad libitum. centration and specific activity of leucine in the extracellular Clofibrate-treated rats received 30 mg clofibrate (Atromid space was considered to be the same as that in plasma. Ex- S, Ayerst Laboratories, New York) per 100 g body wt daily for tracellular space in liver and gastrocnemius muscle was 2 wk. Additional details concerning the treatment are de- determined using inulin as described (22). The extracellular scribed in our previous publication (17). space in liver or muscle of clofibrate-fed rats did not differ Incorporation of leucine into tissue protein in vivo and significantly from that in the control rats. The extracellular determiinlationi of leucine specific activity. Control and space in livers of control and clofibrate-treated rats was clofibrate-fed rats were injected in the tail vein with 5 FCi 28.1+1.2 and 26.3+1.1%,