Publications by authors named "Naoya Nakai"

Adipose tissue serves a significant role in the regulation of energy metabolism in the body. The re‑esterification of the fatty acids generated during lipolysis is critical for efficient lipolysis. However, the effect of the intracellular energy state on lipolytic activity and fatty acid re‑esterification during lipolysis is not yet fully understood.

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Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of intermittent fasting (IF) on the regulation of skeletal muscle protein metabolism in response to nutrient supplementation during fasting.

Methods: Twelve-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to two groups: ad libitum and IF, with the latter having access to food for only 3 h/d. After 6 wk of experimental periods, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed.

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We examined the effects and interactions of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet and voluntary running exercise on bone in older mice. Male 19-mo-old mice were divided into four groups by diet (control vs. LCHF) and exercise (sedentary vs.

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We examined the effects of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) on the mTORC1 pathway in muscle satellite cells (MSCs) isolated from branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase (BDK) knockout (KO) mice in vitro. MSCs were isolated from BDK KO and wild-type (WT) mice, proliferated, and differentiated into myotubes. BCAA stimulation increased the phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase (p70S6K), a marker of protein translation initiation, in MSCs from WT and BDK KO mice, but the rate of the increase was higher in MSCs isolated from BDK KO mice.

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Background: During lipolysis, triglyceride (TG) are hydrolyzed into a glycerol and fatty acids in adipocyte. A significant portion of the fatty acids are re-esterificated into TG, and this is a critical step in promoting lipolysis. Although glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) is required for triglyceride synthesis in mammalian cell, the substrate for G3P synthesis during active lipolysis is not known.

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Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effect of iron deficiency on basal- and contraction-induced increases in muscle protein synthesis.

Methods: Four-wk-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. The rats in two of the three groups had free access to a control diet (AD) or iron-deficient diet (ID) for 4 wk.

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Honeybees produce royal jelly (RJ) from their cephalic glands. Royal jelly is a source of nutrition for the queen honey bee throughout its lifespan and is also involved in fertility and longevity. Royal jelly has long been considered beneficial to human health.

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Article Synopsis
  • Proteolysis is important for keeping skeletal muscle healthy, and autophagy helps break down proteins in cells, particularly during nutrient shortages.
  • This study looked at how glucose starvation affects protein translation in muscle cells (C2C12 myotubes) and found that low glucose levels reduce a key protein marker (p70S6K) that signals the start of protein translation.
  • When glucose is added back after starvation, it boosts p70S6K levels in previously starved cells, and blocking autophagy hampers this effect, suggesting that autophagy plays a role in reactivating protein translation when glucose returns.
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Iron deficiency anemia indicates poor nutrition and is a public health problem. Iron deficiency is also associated with muscle weakness. However, the intracellular mechanisms by which iron deficiency induces muscle weakness are obscure.

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Mouse myoblast C2C12 cells are commonly used as a model system for investigating the metabolic regulation of skeletal muscle. As it is therefore important to understand the metabolic features of C2C12 cells, we examined the effect of glucose starvation on autophagy in C2C12 myotubes. After culture of C2C12 myotubes with high (HG, 25.

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Iron deficiency has been associated with obesity and related metabolic disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of iron deficiency on fat metabolism, particularly regarding the lipolytic activity, lipolysis‑related protein expression, and glucose utilization of adipocytes. Differentiated 3T3‑L1 adipocytes were incubated with an iron chelator, deferoxamine mesylate (DFO), for 48 h.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a low-carbohydrate high-protein (LCHP) diet on the expression of glucose transporters and their relationships to glucose metabolism. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal control or LCHP diet for 2 weeks. An oral glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were performed, and the expression of glucose transporters was determined in the gastrocnemius muscle, jejunum and pancreas.

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Branched-chain amino acid supplements consumed following exercise are widely used to increase muscle mass. Although both exercise (ie, mechanical stimulation) and branched-chain amino acid leucine supplementation have been reported to stimulate muscle protein synthesis by activating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway independently, the mechanisms underlying their synergistic effects are largely unknown. Utilizing cultured differentiated C2C12 myotubes, we established a combination treatment model in which the cells were subjected to cyclic uniaxial mechanical stretching (4 h, 15%, 1 Hz) followed by stimulation with 2 mM leucine for 45 min.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how different types of gravitational acceleration—specifically vibration and constant (centrifugal) acceleration—affect bone formation and healing in animal models.
  • Using a mouse model for ectopic bone formation and a rat model for rib fracture healing, the research compares the effects of these accelerations on bone growth over a specified period post-surgery.
  • Results show that low-magnitude vibration significantly enhances bone weight and size compared to other groups, while centrifugal acceleration does not produce marked differences in bone characteristics compared to control groups.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the role of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in protein metabolism by creating mice with lower BCAA levels to observe effects on muscle function.
  • - Although these mice maintained health on a protein-rich diet, they showed increased mTORC1 sensitivity when BCAAs were ingested, indicating a response to nutrient availability.
  • - When placed on a low-protein diet, these mice experienced significant loss of myofibrillar proteins and reduced mTORC1 activity, highlighting that BCAAs are critical in maintaining muscle protein during periods of protein deficiency.
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Multinucleated muscle fibers are formed by the fusion of myogenic progenitor cells during embryonic and fetal myogenesis. However, the role of prenatally incorporated myonuclei in the skeletal muscle fibers of adult animals is poorly understood. We demonstrated, using muscle-specific reporter mice, that the prenatal myonuclei remained in the adult soleus muscle, although cardiotoxin injection caused the loss of prenatal myonuclei.

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Numerous studies have reported alterations in skeletal muscle properties and phenotypes in response to various stimuli such as exercise, unloading, and gene mutation. However, a shift in muscle fiber phenotype from fast twitch to slow twitch is not completely induced by stimuli. This limitation is hypothesized to result from the epigenetic differences between muscle types.

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Cellular protein synthesis is believed to be antagonistically regulated by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways. In the present study, we examined the relationship between mTOR/p70 S6 kinase (p70S6K) and AMPK in response to mechanical stretch. C2C12 myoblasts were grown on a silicone elastomer chamber to confluence and further cultured in differentiation medium for 4 days to form multinucleated myotubes.

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As the first step in evaluating the possibility of low-temperature atmospheric plasma for clinical applications in the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), we determined the effects of plasma exposure on C2C12 myoblasts. The low-temperature atmospheric plasma was generated through an electrical discharge in argon gas. One minute of plasma exposure every 24 h inhibited the cell proliferation, whereas myoblast differentiation was not affected.

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Background: Although rat anti-mouse IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) antibody (MR16-1) has been reported to effectively ameliorate various tissue damages, its effect on skeletal muscle regeneration has not been determined. Moreover, the localization, persistence and duration of action of this reagent in damaged tissues after systemic administration have not been assessed.

Methods: The MR16-1 was administered i.

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Effects of 3-month exposure to microgravity environment on the expression of genes and proteins in mouse brain were studied. Moreover, responses of neurobiological parameters, nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), were also evaluated in the cerebellum, hippocampus, cortex, and adrenal glands. Spaceflight-related changes in gene and protein expression were observed.

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Hormonal changes in humans during spaceflight have been demonstrated but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. To clarify this point thyroid and testis/epididymis, both regulated by anterior pituitary gland, have been analyzed on long-term space-exposed male C57BL/10 mice, either wild type or pleiotrophin transgenic, overexpressing osteoblast stimulating factor-1. Glands were submitted to morphological and functional analysis.

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Effects of mechanical over-loading on the characteristics of regenerating or normal soleus muscle fibers were studied in dystrophin-deficient (mdx) and wild type (WT) mice. Damage was also induced in WT mice by injection of cardiotoxin (CTX) into soleus muscle. Over-loading was applied for 14 days to the left soleus muscle in mdx and intact and CTX-injected WT mouse muscles by ablation of the distal tendons of plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles.

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The effect of microgravity on skeletal muscles has so far been examined in rat and mice only after short-term (5-20 day) spaceflights. The mice drawer system (MDS) program, sponsored by Italian Space Agency, for the first time aimed to investigate the consequences of long-term (91 days) exposure to microgravity in mice within the International Space Station. Muscle atrophy was present indistinctly in all fiber types of the slow-twitch soleus muscle, but was only slightly greater than that observed after 20 days of spaceflight.

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Effects of hindlimb suspension (HS) and ambulation recovery on hippocampal neurogenesis of newly weaned rats were studied by using immunohistochemical techniques. The number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive (PCNA(+)) cells in the subgranular zone (SGZ) markedly decreased during normal growth. However, neither HS nor subsequent recovery caused additional changes in the number of PCNA(+) cells.

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