Background: Hepatic sarcopenia is one of many complications associated with chronic liver disease (CLD) and has a high mortality rate; however, the liver-muscle axis is not fully understood. Therefore, few effective treatments exist for hepatic sarcopenia, the best of which being branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation to help increase muscle mass. Our aim was to investigate the molecular mechanism(s) of hepatic sarcopenia focused on bile acid (BA) composition.
Methods: The correlation between serum BA levels and psoas muscle mass index (PMI) was examined in 73 CLD patients. Gastrocnemius muscle phenotype and serum BA levels were assessed in CLD rats treated with BCAA. Mouse skeletal muscle cells (C2C12) were incubated with lithocholic acid (LCA), G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) agonist or TGR5 antagonist to assess skeletal muscle hypertrophy.
Results: In human CLD, serum LCA levels were the sole factor positively correlated with PMI and were significantly decreased in both the low muscle mass group and the deceased group. Serum LCA levels were also shown to predict patient survival. Gastrocnemius muscle weight significantly increased in CLD rats treated with BCAA via suppression of protein degradation pathways, coupled with a significant increase in serum LCA levels. LCA treated C2C12 hypertrophy occurred in a concentration-dependent manner linked with TGR5-Akt pathways based upon inhibition results via a TGR5 antagonist.
Conclusions: Our results indicate LCA-mediated skeletal muscle hypertrophy via activation of TGR5-IGF1-Akt signaling pathways. In addition, serum LCA levels were associated with skeletal muscle mass in cirrhotic rats, as well as CLD patients, and predicted overall patient survival.
Funding: This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 22K08011 and 21H02892, and AMED under Grant Number JP21fk0210090 and JP22fk0210115. Maintaining cirrhotic rats were partially supported by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.80638 | DOI Listing |
PLoS Pathog
January 2025
Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI-CONICET). Córdoba, Argentina.
Tissue-repair regulatory T cells (trTregs) comprise a specialized cell subset essential for tissue homeostasis and repair. While well-studied in sterile injury models, their role in infection-induced tissue damage and antimicrobial immunity is less understood. We investigated trTreg dynamics during acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection, marked by extensive tissue damage and strong CD8+ immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiographics
February 2025
Department of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6 (D.V.F., J.L.); Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (D.V.F., J.L.); Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (D.V.F., J.L.); and Department of Radiology, St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (T.M.).
Formerly termed or , core muscle injury (CMI) encompasses abnormality of structures within the so-called core, which is essentially the hip, abdomen, and pubis. Compared with data on image-guided procedures of other joints, information regarding procedures performed to address CMI and other disorders of the pubic symphysis is lacking. These procedures can be daunting given the joint's small size, surrounding critical neurovascular structures, and three-dimensional anatomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJCI Insight
January 2025
Department of Nephrology, Blood Purification Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
Renal osteodystrophy is commonly seen in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to disrupted mineral homeostasis. Given the impaired renal function in these patients, common anti-resorptive agents, including bisphosphonates, must be used with caution or even contraindicated. Therefore, an alternative therapy without renal burden to combat renal osteodystrophy is urgently needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Soc Nephrol
January 2025
Selzman Institute for Kidney Health, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
Background: Arteriovenous (AV) fistulas are the preferred access for dialysis but have a high incidence of failure. This study aims to understand the crosstalk between skeletal muscle catabolism and AV fistula maturation failure.
Methods: Skeletal muscle metabolism and AV fistula maturation were evaluated in mice with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Pulmonology
December 2025
Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie Respiratoire Expérimentale et Clinique, Paris, France.
Background: Nasal high flow (NHF) has been proposed to sustain high intensity exercise in people with COPD, but we have a poor understanding of its physiological effects in this clinical setting.
Research Question: What is the effect of NHF during exercise on dynamic respiratory muscle function and activation, cardiorespiratory parameters, endurance capacity, dyspnoea and leg fatigue as compared to control intervention.
Study Design And Methods: Randomized single-blind crossover trial including COPD patients.
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