Pea and soy fortified with leucine stimulates muscle protein synthesis comparable to whey in a murine ageing model.

Purpose: To meet the global dietary protein demands, a trend towards plant-based protein (PBP) sources to replace animal-derived protein is currently ongoing. However, PBPs may not have the same anabolic capacity to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) as dairy proteins. For vulnerable populations with specific medical needs, it is especially important to validate the anabolic properties of PBPs.

Muscle Protein Synthesis with a Hybrid Dairy and Plant-Based Protein Blend (P4) Is Equal to Whey Protein in a Murine Ageing Model after Fasting.

P4, a specific combination of dairy proteins (whey and casein) and plant-based protein isolates (pea and soy), has been shown to provide a more balanced amino acid (AA) profile than its single constituent proteins; however, less is known about how this translates to muscle protein synthesis (MPS). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of P4 compared to whey or casein against fasted control on MPS. C57BL/6J mice, aged 25 months, were fasted overnight, followed by oral gavage of either whey, P4, casein, or water as a fasted control.

chemotherapy-associated muscle toxicity is attenuated with nutritional support, while treatment efficacy is retained.

Purpose: Muscle-wasting and treatment-related toxicities negatively impact prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Specific nutritional composition might support skeletal muscle and enhance treatment support. In this study we assess the effect of nutrients EPA, DHA, L-leucine and vitamin D3, as single nutrients or in combination on chemotherapy-treated C2C12-myotubes, and specific CRC-tumor cells.

Specialized nutrition improves muscle function and physical activity without affecting chemotherapy efficacy in C26 tumour-bearing mice.

Background: Skeletal muscle wasting and fatigue are commonly observed in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and associated with reduced treatment outcome and quality of life. Nutritional support may mitigate these side effects, but potential interference with chemotherapy efficacy could be of concern. Here, we investigated the effects of an ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid), leucine-enriched, high-protein (100% whey), additional vitamin D, and prebiotic fibres 'specific nutritional composition' (SNC) and chemotherapy on state-of-the-art tumour organoids and muscle cells and studied muscle function, physical activity, systemic inflammation, and chemotherapy efficacy in a mouse model of aggressive colorectal cancer (CRC).

DPA shows comparable chemotherapy sensitizing effects as EPA upon cellular incorporation in tumor cells.

Dietary supplementation with ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been reported to enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells towards chemotherapy. Most enhancing effects are described for ω-3 PUFAs EPA and DHA; less evidence is available with the intermediate DPA. We studied the chemotherapy enhancing effects of EPA, DPA and DHA in murine colon C26 adenocarcinoma cells and showed that DPA displayed similar chemosensitizing effects as EPA.

Differential effects of leucine and leucine-enriched whey protein on skeletal muscle protein synthesis in aged mice.

Background & Aims: It has been suggested that anabolic resistance, or a blunted protein synthetic response to anabolic stimuli, contributes to the failure of muscle mass maintenance in older adults. The amino acid leucine is one of the most prominent food-related anabolic stimuli. However, data on muscle protein synthesis (MPS) after administration of a single bolus of leucine in aged populations is lacking and long-term single leucine supplementation has not been shown to increase muscle mass.

Reduced dietary intake of micronutrients with antioxidant properties negatively impacts muscle health in aged mice.

Background: Inadequate intake of micronutrients with antioxidant properties is common among older adults and has been associated with higher risk of frailty, adverse functional outcome, and impaired muscle health. However, a causal relationship is less well known. The aim was to determine in old mice the impact of reduced dietary intake of vitamins A/E/B6/B12/folate, selenium, and zinc on muscle mass, oxidative capacity, strength, and physical activity (PA) over time.

Sarcopenia in older mice is characterized by a decreased anabolic response to a protein meal.

Ageing is associated with sarcopenia, a progressive decline of skeletal muscle mass, muscle quality and muscle function. Reduced sensitivity of older muscles to respond to anabolic stimuli, i.e.

Improved muscle function and quality after diet intervention with leucine-enriched whey and antioxidants in antioxidant deficient aged mice.

Antioxidant (AOX) deficiencies are commonly observed in older adults and oxidative stress has been suggested to contribute to sarcopenia. Here we investigate if 1) low levels of dietary antioxidants had a negative impact on parameters of muscle mass, function and quality, and 2) to study if nutritional interventions with AOX and/or leucine-enriched whey protein could improve these muscle parameters in aged mice. 18-months-old mice were fed a casein-based antioxidant-deficient (lowox) diet or a casein-based control-diet (CTRL) for 7 months.

Behavioural changes are a major contributing factor in the reduction of sarcopenia in caloric-restricted ageing mice.

Background: In rodent models, caloric restriction (CR) with maintenance of adequate micronutrient supply has been reported to increase lifespan and to reduce age-induced muscle loss (sarcopenia) during ageing. In the present study, we further investigated effects of CR on the onset and severity of sarcopenia in ageing male C57BL/6 J mice. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CR induces changes in behaviour of the animals that could contribute to the pronounced health-promoting effects of CR in rodents.

Hypothalamic food intake regulation in a cancer-cachectic mouse model.

Background: Appetite is frequently affected in cancer patients leading to anorexia and consequently insufficient food intake. In this study, we report on hypothalamic gene expression profile of a cancer-cachectic mouse model with increased food intake. In this model, mice bearing C26 tumour have an increased food intake subsequently to the loss of body weight.

Glycolytic buffering affects cardiac bioenergetic signaling and contractile reserve similar to creatine kinase.

Creatine kinase (CK) and glycolysis represent important energy-buffering processes in the cardiac myocyte. Although the role of compartmentalized CK in energy transfer has been investigated intensely, similar duties for intracellular glycolysis have not been demonstrated. By measuring the response time of mitochondrial oxygen consumption to dynamic workload jumps (tmito) in isolated rabbit hearts, we studied the effect of inhibiting energetic systems (CK and/or glycolysis) on transcytosolic signal transduction that couples cytosolic ATP hydrolysis to activation of oxidative phosphorylation.