Giovanni Corsetti

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation Promotes Survival and Supports Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Middle-Aged Mice

Recent evidence points to a strong relationship between increased mitochondrial biogenesis and increased survival in eukaryotes. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been shown to extend chronological life span in yeast. However, the role of these amino acids in mitochondrial biogenesis and longevity in mammals is unknown. Here, we show that a BCAA-enriched mixture (BCAAem) increased the average life span of mice. BCAAem supplementation increased mitochondrial biogenesis and sirtuin 1 expression in primary cardiac and skeletal myocytes and in cardiac and skeletal muscle, but not in adipose tissue and liver of middle-aged mice, and this was accompanied by enhanced physical endurance. Moreover, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) defense system genes were upregulated, and ROS production was reduced by BCAAem supplementation. All of the BCAAem-mediated effects were strongly attenuated in endothelial nitric oxide synthase null mutant mice. These data reveal an important antiaging role of BCAAs mediated by mitochondrial biogenesis in mammals.

Morphometric changes induced by amino acid supplementation in skeletal and cardiac muscles of old mice.

Aging is associated with progressive structural disorganization of muscular and cardiac fibers, decreasing functional capacity, and increased rates of disease and death. Aging is also characterized by disturbances in protein synthesis with impaired cellular organelle functions, particularly in the mitochondria. The availability of amino acids is a key factor for the overall metabolism of mammals and exogenous supplements of amino acid mixtures (AAm) could be a valid therapeutic strategy to improve quality of life, avoiding malnutrition and muscle wasting in the elderly. We investigated the morphoquantitative effects of long-term AAm supplementation on the mitochondria and sarcomeres (by electron microscope) and on collagen matrix deposition (by histologic techniques) in both skeletal and cardiac muscles of young and aged mice. Our data showed that old animals have fewer mitochondria and massive fibrosis in both muscles. Long-term AAm supplementation increased the number and volume of mitochondria and sarcomeres and decreased fibrosis in both skeletal muscle and hearts in old rats. These findings indicate that AAm restored muscular morphologic parameters and probably improved the mechanical performance of these organs.

Supraspinal connections and termination patterns of the parabrachial complex determined by the biocytin anterograde tract‐tracing technique in the rat

We have re‐evaluated, using the anterograde tracer biocytin, supraspinal efferent projections from the parabrachial complex (PBN) to gain new information about the nature of its connections and nerve terminal patterns. We selectively injected biocytin into the 3 main regions of the nucleus (lateral PBN, medial PBN and Kölliker‐Fuse nucleus). We observed distinct groups of ascending and descending fibres of different calibre from the PBN running throughout the brain and reaching many brain areas involved in the regulation of autonomic function. Here we detected labelled bouton‐like terminals and fibres with en‐passage varicosities. The ascending efferents from the lateral PBN mainly reached the reticular, raphe and thalamic nuclei, the zona incerta (ZI), central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and lateral area of the periaqueductal grey (PAG). Thin descending efferents reached the ventral region of the solitary tract nucleus (STN). The ascending efferents from the medial PBN were seen in the raphe nuclei, reticular nuclei, ventral and lateral areas of the PAG, thalamic nuclei, and in the medial and lateral nuclei of the amygdala. Descending efferents were seen in the STN and in some reticular nuclei. The ascending projections from the Kölliker‐Fuse targeted the ventral area of PAG, CeA, ZI, lateral hypothalamic area, ventromedial thalamic nucleus and, with only a few terminals, the ipsi and contralateral reticular area. A large number of descending efferents reached STN, caudal and paragigantocellular reticular nuclei. The higher sensitivity of biocytin compared with other types of markers allowed us to determine more effectively the distribution, nature and extent of the supraspinal PBN connections. This suggested that in several nerve circuits the PBN probably plays a more important role than previously thought.

Effects of treadmill exercise and training frequency on anabolic signaling pathways in the skeletal muscle of aged rats

Physical exercise is the most effective intervention against sarcopenia of aging; however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating training-induced adaptations are not yet completely understood. Furthermore, it is unclear whether exercise training initiated late in life affects myocyte anabolic signaling in a dose-dependent manner. Hence, we sought to investigate the effects of treadmill exercise and training frequency on anabolic pathways, including insulin signaling, in the skeletal muscle of old rats. Aged (14-16-month-old) male Wistar rats were trained on a treadmill for 3 (EX3) or 5 days/week (EX5) during 8 weeks and compared with age-matched sedentary controls (SED). Four-month-old rats were used as young controls (YC). Protein expression levels of insulin receptor (IR), insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), activated (phosphorylated) mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and glucose transporter GLUT4 were determined in quadriceps muscle extracts via immunoblotting. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity was assessed by histochemical staining, while electron microscopy was employed to quantify the sarcomere volume (V(src)). Body weight (BW) increased, whereas muscle weight (MW) and V(src) decreased with age. EX5, but not EX3 increased MW and V(src), without affecting BW. The expression of IR and GLUT4 was higher in SED rats relative to the YC group. Conversely, protein levels of IRS-1 and p-mTOR as well as COX activity were reduced in advanced age. Compared with SED rats, EX3 animals displayed reduced IR expression and increased IRS-1 levels and COX activity. The expression of GLUT 4 and p-mTOR was unaffected by EX3. EX5 up-regulated IRS-1 and p-mTOR expression and COX activity, while decreasing GLUT4 levels, with no effect on IR expression. In summary, substantial impairments in muscle anabolic pathways, including insulin signaling, were detected in aged sedentary rats. These changes were ameliorated by exercise training, concomitant with improvements in muscle trophism. Benefits were more evident in rats trained for 5 days/week, suggesting that physical exercise initiated late in life affects anabolic signaling in a dose-dependent manner.

Nitric oxide involvement in the trigeminal hyperalgesia in diabetic rats.

Trigeminal hyperalgesia frequently appears in diabetic neuralgia altering the transmission of orofacial sensory information. This study was designed to explore the effects of trigeminal hyperalgesia in streptozotocin-induced diabetes monitoring the expression of nitric oxide synthase in the trigeminal ganglion cells. The threshold to heat noxious stimuli decreased in diabetic animals. The number of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons significantly decreased in the diabetic rats compared with controls. Insulin treatment prevented the decreased nociceptive threshold and reduction of the number of NADPH-d-positive neurons. These findings point out that there is a relationship between the trigeminal nociceptive perception and NADPH-d neuronal expression suggesting that NO may play a role in the pathogenesis of trigeminal sensory neuropathy.

Oral Amino Acid Supplementation Counteracts Age-Induced Sarcopenia in Elderly Rats

We investigated the effects of a specific mixture of amino acid (AA) supplements on the adaptation changes induced by aging in the soleus muscle of rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups (n = 5 each): young control (YO), 3 months of age; elderly control (EL), 18 months of age; and elderly orally supplemented with an AA mixture (EL-AA), 18 months of age, given as 0.1 g/kg per day in drinking water for 8 weeks. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition was analyzed in all muscles. The total fiber number and fiber cross-sectional area of types 1 and 2A fibers were also measured in immunostained sections of the soleus muscle. The ratios between the sarcomere volume (Vsar) and the total volume (Vtot) and single muscle fibers were studied by electron microscopy. The expression of total and phosphorylated serine/threonine protein kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a potent regulator of messenger RNA translation initiation, was also determined in all groups. Aging was associated with an overall shift toward the expression of a slower MHC phenotype, atrophy of fast and slow fibers, a significant decrease in Vtot/Vsar, and no changes in total fiber number. AA supplementation antagonized the effects of aging. A shift toward the expression of faster MHC isoforms was observed. Fiber atrophy appeared to be partly counteracted by the AA supplements; we noted an increase in cross-sectional area fibers and Vtot/Vsar in EL-AAs. Total and phosphorylated mTOR expression appeared to decrease in EL and was restored by the AA supplements. Collectively, these results suggest that aging-induced muscle adaptations can be partly restored by AA supplementation. An mTOR signal pathway may mediate the effects on fiber trophism.

Cyclosporine-A treatment inhibits the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors in rat thymus

We have evaluated the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR subtypes 2/3, 4 and 5) in rat thymus under normal and experimental conditions after 2 and 21 days of cyclosporine-A treatment. In normal rats, immunohistochemical analysis showed that expression of mGluRs was high in dendritic cells and lymphocytes of the medulla whereas it was weak in lymphocytes of the cortex. However, there were some differences in the expression of mGluRs subtypes. mGluR5 showed strong expression in lymphocytes of medulla and dendritic cells. mGluR2/3 and mGluR4 were moderately expressed in lymphocytes and dendritic cells of the medulla and weakly in cortical lymphocytes. Immunoblotting showed moderate levels of mGluR2/3 and mGluR4 and strong levels of mGluRS. After 2 days of cyclosporine-A treatment, we observed by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting a distinct decrease in all mGluRs and their expression had almost completely disappeared after 21 days of treatment. The results clearly indicate that: 1) mGluR2/3, 4 and 5 are widely expressed in thymic cells; 2) the mGluR5 subtype is expressed most strongly in medullary cells; and 3) cyclosporine-A rapidly inhibits expression of all mGluR subtypes after 2 days of treatment and their complete disappearance after prolonged treatment. These findings may indicate a possible mechanism by which cyclosporine-A produces its immunosupressive effects.

Does methylene blue protect the kidney tissues from damage induced by ciclosporin A treatment

Ciclosporin A (CsA) is the first-choice immunosuppressant universally used in allotransplantation and autoimmune diseases. However, it has been demonstrated that this drug produces negative side effects in several organs and in particular in the lymphoid organs and in the kidney. It has been suggested that the CsA causes deleterious effects because it increases the oxygen free radical production. Here we wanted to test whether antioxidants protect the kidney parenchyma from the toxicity induced by CsA. We used methylene blue (MB), because it inhibits the formation of oxygen free radicals. The study was carried out in four groups of Wistar rats. Group I animals were intraperitoneally injected with MB (1 mg/kg/day) for 21 days; group II animals were subcutaneously injected with CsA (15 mg/kg/day) for 21 days; group III animals were treated with CsA combined with MB at the same doses and for the same periods as groups I and II, and group IV animals were injected subcutaneously with olive oil for 21 days as controls. The kidneys and the thymuses were subsequently removed and examined by conventional morphological staining (hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s trichrome) and enzymatic (NADPH-diaphorase, cytochrome, c oxidase, and superoxide anion production) and immunoenzymatic (inducible nitric oxide synthase – iNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase – eNOS) techniques. The thymuses were used to check the persistence of CsA-immunsuppressive effects during MB administration. Group I, III, and IV animals showed a normal kidney architecture and low levels of NADPH-diaphorase and of superoxide anion in all structures studied (proximal and distal tubules, glomeruli and the Henle loops). The cytochrome c oxidase showed a strong activity in proximal tubules, a moderate activity in distal tubules, and a weak activity in glomeruli and in the Henle loops. The expression of iNOS was weak in the proximal tubular epithelial cells and negative in the glomeruli, while eNOS was found to be moderately positive in the glomeruli and in the interstitial arteries, but not in the tubules and in the Henle loops. Degenerative changes with tubulointerstitial injury in the cortex of CsA-treated kidneys (group II) and increases of NADPH-diaphorase levels, iNOS activity, and superoxide staining were found in all structures. The expression of eNOS did not change in group I, III and IV animals. MB combined with CsA prevented the degenerative changes caused by CsA, preserving the structural, enzymatic, and immunoenzymatic integrity of the renal parenchyma. The mechanism by which MB exerts its protective action is not yet clear, but it seems to be due to its ability to inhibit xanthine oxidase and to quench nitric oxide production. Moreover, these data have been also supported by the following: (1) the superoxide anion levels were very high after CsA treatment and reduced after CsA-MB treatment, and (2) the iNOS levels increased in CsA-treated rats and showed normal levels after CsA-MB treatment. Moreover we demonstrated that MB administration did no compromise the CsA immunosuppressive effects, since the thymus showed a cytoarchitecture like that observed in CsA-treated rats.

Topical application of dressing with amino acids improves cutaneous wound healing in aged rats.

The principal goal in treating surgical and non-surgical wounds, in particular for aged skin, is the need for rapid closure of the lesion. Cutaneous wound healing processes involve four phases including an inflammatory response with the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. If inflammation develops in response to bacterial infection, it can create a problem for wound closure. Reduced inflammation accelerates wound closure with subsequent increased fibroblast function and collagen synthesis. On the contrary, prolonged chronic inflammation results in very limited wound healing. Using histological and immunohistochemical techniques, we investigated the effects of a new wound dressing called Vulnamin that contains four essential amino acids for collagen and elastin synthesis plus sodium ialuronate (Na-Ial), compared with Na-Ial alone, in closure of experimental cutaneous wounds of aged rats. Our results showed that the application of Vulnamin dressings modulated the inflammatory response with a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunolocalisation, while increasing endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) immunolocalisation. Furthermore, the dressing increased the distribution density of fibroblasts and aided the synthesis of thin collagen fibers resulting in a reduction in healing time. The nutritive approach using this new wound dressing can provide an efficacious and safe strategy to accelerate wound healing in elderly subjects, simplifying therapeutic procedures and leading to an improved quality of life.

Amino Acid Supplementation Counteracts Metabolic and Functional Damage in the Diabetic Rat Heart

We aimed to assess whether a specific mixture of amino acid (AA) supplements counteracts the metabolic and functional changes in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat heart model. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 10 each) and treated for 43 days: nondiabetic controls, nondiabetic rats given an AA mixture (0.1 g/kg per day), diabetic rats (induced with 65 mg/kg STZ given intraperitoneally), diabetic rats given AAs, diabetic rats given insulin (5 IU/day given subcutaneously), and diabetic rats given insulin plus AAs. During treatment, glycemia and insulinemia levels were measured in all groups. Changes in enzyme (reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dehydrogenase, cytochrome c oxidase) activities and myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition were measured in the left ventricle. In 5 rats contractile function was assessed by measuring maximal shortening velocity of skinned ventricular trabeculae and the expression of translational regulator mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was also found. STZ-induced diabetes was associated with reduced myocardial contractility, overall loss of oxidative capacity, a shift toward a slower MHC phenotype, and decreased mTOR tissue content. All of these changes appeared to be reversible with insulin. AA supplements partially restored the myocardial and oxidative dysfunction and also increased mTOR tissue content. The combination of insulin and AAs did not have a synergistic effect on either enzymatic or functional profiles. We conclude that AA supplements may contribute to restoring the oxidative and contractile dysfunction of diabetic rat hearts, probably through an mTOR-insulin independent mechanism.