Dexamethasone acutely suppresses the anabolic SNAT2/SLC38A2 amino acid transporter protein in L6-G8C5 rat skeletal muscle cells.

Chronic metabolic acidosis plays a role in cachexia by enhancing total proteolysis in skeletal muscle. Glucocorticoid also triggers proteolysis and plays a permissive role in the effect of acidosis. The System A amino acid transporter SNAT2/SLC38A2 is ubiquitously expressed in mammalian cells including muscle, performing Na-dependent active import of neutral amino acids, and is strongly inhibited by low pH.